Sharp Increase in Suicides Among Israeli Occupation Soldiers After Gaza War

Official data issued by the Israeli occupation army revealed a significant increase in suicide rates among its soldiers since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, as a result of the increasing psychological pressures they suffer due to the fighting.

According to the data, seven soldiers on active duty committed suicide between October 7 and the end of 2023, while 21 cases of suicide among soldiers were recorded during 2024. Since the beginning of 2025 until now, at least 20 soldiers have been recorded as committing suicide.

Before the war, the average number of suicides among Israeli soldiers was only about 12 cases, which shows that the rates have almost doubled during the past two years. The occupation army attributes this increase to the large expansion in the deployment of forces, including reserve forces, in addition to the exposure of many soldiers to violent combat confrontations inside Gaza.

Military sources indicate that internal analysis shows a decrease in suicides related to purely personal circumstances, compared to an increase in cases likely resulting from stressful combat experiences or field traumas. The Haaretz newspaper reported the suicide of a reserve officer from the "Givati" brigade after a psychological struggle that afflicted him following his participation in the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The newspaper stated that soldier Thomas Edzgusks (28 years old) was discharged from service in 2024 due to his psychological injury, and was undergoing procedures to be recognized as suffering from post-combat trauma. His body was found in a park in the city of Ashdod, after he left a message saying: "I am no longer able, I have committed unforgivable things, there is a demon haunting me since October 7. Please forget me."

The newspaper indicates that he had been suffering from psychological distress for about two years, and was receiving psychological and drug treatment. Experts believe that the case of soldier Thomas Edzgusks is not an isolated case, but rather an example of the widening circle of psychological disorders among soldiers who participated in the Gaza war, in light of the continuation of operations and the increasing field and moral pressures.

Families of former soldiers and specialized therapists continue to warn that the official figures do not fully reflect reality, as organizations concerned with treating those with post-traumatic stress disorder estimate that the actual number of suicides is much higher, especially among discharged soldiers whose cases are not counted in direct military statistics.

According to a follow-up by the Haaretz newspaper, at least 15 discharged soldiers have committed suicide since the start of the war due to psychological problems related to service, and 5 policemen have committed suicide during the same period. The newspaper adds that many of these cases remain "in the shadows" and are not officially recognized as victims of service.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a genocidal war on Gaza, which has left more than 70,000 martyrs and more than 171,000 wounded Palestinians, most of them children and women. The war was supposed to end with a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, but Israel violates it daily, leading to the martyrdom and injury of hundreds. Israel also prevents sufficient food and medicine from entering Gaza.