Suicides Surge in Israeli Army As Gaza War Trauma Deepens
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli media reports reveal a sharp rise in suicides among occupation forces, with 18 soldiers taking their own lives since the beginning of the year, underscoring the psychological collapse spreading through the ranks after the Gaza war.
Hebrew outlets admitted that suicides have become a recurring phenomenon inside the Israeli military since the beginning of Gaza assault.
The latest case involved a Golani Brigade soldier found dead at a northern base in occupied Palestine.
The army confirmed the incident, saying the body was discovered inside the base and that military police had launched an investigation, though no details of the location or the soldier’s identity were released.
The report comes just weeks after the body of officer Yosef Haim was found in a forest near Ramat Biriya, also in northern occupied territory.
Earlier, a soldier from the 401st Armored Brigade had taken his life following deployment in Gaza.
Despite tight military censorship that prevents accurate reporting on casualties, the Hebrew daily Haaretz revealed that seven soldiers committed suicide in July alone.
The army’s manpower division has since been forced to form a committee to examine mental health support for conscripts and reservists.
A recent study cited by Israeli media said most of the suicides were linked to the unbearable conditions soldiers faced during the Gaza war.
According to the findings, 18 soldiers have taken their own lives in 2025 so far.
More than 10,000 soldiers are reportedly receiving treatment for psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, but only 3,769 have access to specialized care.
Itamar Graf, a senior official in the Israeli war ministry, admitted: “We have provided solutions and formed teams of therapists to monitor cases, but unfortunately, there are still significant incidents of suicide among soldiers, and this phenomenon is on the rise. Every suicide is a defeat for us.”
The Hebrew outlet Walla noted that suicide is rising at an alarming pace, with 17 soldiers killing themselves in 2023, 21 in 2024, and 18 already in 2025.
Professor Hagai Hermes, a psychiatrist whose own son committed suicide during service, said the official statistics are only “the tip of the iceberg,” estimating between 500 and 700 suicides annually across Israeli society.
He stressed the need for transparency about the true scale of the crisis.
Another outlet, Shomrim, reported that most suicides over the past year were among reservists, despite the army’s claim that the numbers are not high relative to the mass call-up since October 7.
Professor Yossi Levi Belaz of Rupin University’s Suicide Research Center warned of an impending “wave of suicides” among Israeli soldiers, citing the deep psychological wounds inflicted after the Gaza war.
He said: “After October 7, Israeli soldiers realized there was a larger external enemy. Reservists have been hit especially hard and continue to suffer from post-traumatic stress. We will see a major wave of suicides during and after this war, because they cannot bear the consequences of what they experienced.”
