The Israeli army reports an “increase” in suicide cases among its ranks

An increase in the number of suicides among Israeli soldiers has been recorded this year, rising from 17 cases in 2023 to 21 in 2024, the highest annual total since 2011, reveals a report published Thursday by the Israeli army on its website.

Between 2023 and 2024, 38 Israeli servicemen, all men, would be “investigated for suspected suicide.” Of these, 28 are believed to have taken their own lives following the unprecedented Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing war.

In previous years, 14 suicides were recorded by the Israeli army in 2022 and 11 in 2021. The Israeli army has not established a direct cause between the war and the number of suicides.

Of the 21 soldiers who took their own lives over the past year, 12 were serving reservists, seven were doing their compulsory military service and two were career soldiers. The mobilization of reservists intensified in the wake of the Hamas massacres. Hundreds of thousands of reservists, some from the United States, Canada and France, rushed in to be rapidly deployed in Gaza.

The army says it has put in place a number of ways to help soldiers, including a mental health helpline and training for line managers.

Meanwhile, thousands of Israeli soldiers have reportedly stopped serving in combat roles due to mental distress since Oct. 7, 2023, according to an article published Thursday by the Israeli daily Haaretz, citing an army report.

With more than 5,569 wounded, the military institution said in its report that 891 of its members lost their lives in 2023 and 2024, some of them outside combat. This figure includes 329 deaths in the Oct. 7 attack, at least 390 in fighting in Gaza, 37 in attacks in northern Israel, 50 in clashes in Lebanon and 11 in the West Bank. In 2023, 558 soldiers fell in regular, permanent and reserve service, including 329 on Oct. 7, compared with 44 martyrs in 2022.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the mental health of Israelis has been severely tested. According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, quoted by CNN, more than a third of men who have been withdrawn from combat suffer from mental health problems.

Faced with this mental health crisis, the Israeli authorities have announced measures to assist members of the army and prevent cases of suicide. A 24/7 mental health helpline has been opened, and the number and availability of mental health specialists has been increased to “strengthen the mental resilience of combatants, both men and women.”