Mental Scars of War Leave Israeli Army Battling Its Own Soldiers’ Breakdown
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than 20,000 Israeli soldiers have been hospitalized with psychological trauma since the start of the war on Gaza, exposing the scale of mental collapse within the army and raising fresh doubts over its resilience.
Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported that over 20,000 soldiers and wounded personnel have been admitted to hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the occupied territories since the outbreak of the war.
According to the report, 56% of them suffer from psychological trauma directly linked to the regime’s genocidal war in Gaza and their injuries.
Israel’s ministry of war confirmed that its rehabilitation department is treating 81,700 war casualties in total.
Nearly 31,000 of those cases involve mental illness and trauma — amounting to 38% of all Israeli war-wounded.
The military establishment admitted it has allocated more than 8 billion shekels for treatment and rehabilitation.
Of this, 4.1 billion shekels is reserved for victims of psychological disorders and trauma.
Data shows 45% of the wounded suffer physical injuries, 35% psychological injuries, and 20% combined physical and psychological damage.
The severity of injuries is stark: 56 wounded are classified with disabilities exceeding 100%, the most extreme level of impairment.
Among them are 24 cases of total disability, 168 with severe head injuries, 16 paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, and 99 amputees.
The ministry projects that by 2028 its rehabilitation department will be treating 100,000 wounded, half of them with psychological damage.
Mounting concern over the mental collapse of Israeli forces is evident in official data.
Around 10,700 injured soldiers have suffered psychological disorders during service — representing 55% of the total.
Sixty percent of them are receiving ongoing psychological support.
The ministry admitted it has intervened in 251 cases of acute psychological distress.
Its mental health support hotline receives an average of 2,000 calls per month.
The report noted that the wounded span all sectors of Israeli society, from regular soldiers to reservists.
Half are men under the age of 30, and 64% are from reserve units — underscoring how deeply the war’s trauma has penetrated the ranks.
