Gaza War: Israel Reveals Its Soldier Death Toll and the Rise in Soldier Suicides

3rd January 2025

2 minutes read

Gaza War: Israel Reveals Its Soldier Death Toll and the Rise in Soldier Suicides

An unprecedented rise in the number of Israeli soldiers committing suicide since the beginning of the Gaza war has been revealed by official data from the Jewish state, which also includes the number of killed and injured soldiers.

The Israeli army stated that 21 soldiers have committed suicide in 2024, compared to 17 in 2023, with 7 suicides occurring since the war began on October 7, 2023. This brings the total number of suicides among soldiers since the start of the war to 28.

For comparison, there were 14 suicides in 2022, 11 in 2021, 9 in 2020, 12 in 2019, and 9 in 2018.

The Israeli army said: “To prevent suicides, a 24/7 mental health support hotline has been opened, and the number of mental health staff has been increased to ensure their availability.”

It added: “Preparations and task closures are also being implemented as part of every operational activity, in order to build mental resilience among soldiers and recruits.”

Furthermore, it was stated: “A dedicated clinic for regular soldiers has been established, and the response to combat-related stress has been expanded to include both discharged and permanent soldiers.”

The Israeli army also published the number of soldiers killed in 2023 and 2024.

It stated: “Since the beginning of the war, 891 Israeli soldiers in regular and reserve service have been killed, and 5,569 others have been injured.”

It added: “In 2023, 558 soldiers were killed in regular and reserve service, compared to 44 in 2022.”

It continued: “Of these, 329 were killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas.”

The Israeli army noted that in 2023, 512 soldiers were killed during operational activities, 16 in various incidents, including 2 in training accidents, 4 in civilian traffic accidents, 5 in military traffic accidents, 1 in weapon-related incidents, and 4 in other accidents.

It said: “An investigation is underway into the deaths of 17 soldiers from suicides, 10 died from illnesses, and 3 were killed in hostile operations.”

According to the Israeli army, “In 2024, 363 soldiers have been killed in regular and reserve service, compared to 558 in 2023.”

It added: “295 were killed during operational activities, 23 in various incidents, including 17 in civilian traffic accidents, 3 in military traffic accidents, and 3 in other incidents.”

The army concluded: “An investigation is underway into the deaths of 21 soldiers from suicides, 13 died from illnesses, and 11 were killed in hostile attacks.”