As many as five Israeli soldiers have ended their lives in less than two weeks due to various reasons associated with the ongoing war in Gaza. This includes both Conscripts and reservists of the Israeli Defence Forces.
Suicide rates amongst the IDF troops have surged since Tel Aviv deployed its forces in Gaza post the October 7, 2023, attack.
Seven soldiers committed suicide by the end of 2023, followed by 21 cases confirmed in 2024, and at least 20 incidents of suicide have been reported since the start of this year.
The most recent case happened on Sunday, in which a 19-year-old Norwegian immigrant who joined the IDF less than a year ago ended his life Four others ended their lives within these two weeks, including the Golani Brigade trooper who shot himself, and another reservist, Daniel Edri, who self-immolated after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Most of the cases involve active duty reservists, with the military attributing the rise to combat-related trauma rather than personal or family issues “One cannot breathe in the face of this statistic,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said. “This war also kills souls.”
Meanwhile, the IDF is also facing manpower shortages due to the withdrawal of thousands of reservists from their combat roles The suicide rates due to mental health issues may be higher this year, which was also confirmed by the Israeli media outlet HAARETZ, which reported 12 more non-combat veteran deaths Now in its 21st month, the Gaza conflict has placed intense strain on Israeli forces, with prolonged deployments and mounting losses.
Since the start of the operation in Gaza, 893 Israeli soldiers have been killed, according to official data, in addition to 1,200 Israeli civilians killed during the October 7 Hamas raid Israel's war on Gaza has killed 59,000 people, with more than 130,000 people injured, according to the Gaza health Ministry.
Also Read: Israel kills 116 in Gaza amidst intensifying ceasefire calls
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