KNESSET REPORT EXPOSES CRISIS: 279 IDF SUICIDE ATTEMPTS IN 18 MONTHS

Wed 29 October 2025:

At least 279 Israeli soldiers have attempted suicide over 18 months during Israel’s war on Gaza, according to a new report.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said the report by the Knesset Research and Information Center showed “worrying data regarding suicide attempts among Israeli soldiers” from January 2024 to July 2025, 36 of which resulted in death.

According to the report, 124 Israeli soldiers have died by suicide from 2017 to July 2025 – 68 percent of them serving compulsory military service, 21 percent of them reservists and 11 percent on permanent duty.

The increase in suicides and attempted suicide has been linked to the surge in reservist mobilization throughout the war following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which drew tens of thousands of troops back into active service.

The report indicated a significant increase in suicide cases among reservists since 2023, linking this to an increase in the number of active-duty soldiers since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Cassif, who requested the report, warned in response to its findings on Tuesday that the “suicide epidemic” was likely only going to get worse in the coming months.

“There is nothing more valuable than a human life,” he said. “The suicide epidemic, which will likely worsen now that the war is over, requires the creation of real support systems for soldiers, and above all, bringing about an end to the wars and making true peace.”

“A government that sends its soldiers to war and captivity and abandons them is one that fights against them, not one that fights against war and crime,” Cassif added.

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Most of the data was supplied by the IDF Medical Corps’ mental health center, as well as from discussions held in various Knesset committees.

The report clarified that the figures referred only to soldiers serving at the time of their death or attempt — whether in regular or reserve service — and did not include veterans who took their own lives after completing military duty.

An internal military investigation in August of this year found that most of the recent suicides among troops were the result of psychological trauma from the war, including prolonged deployments in combat zones, witnessing harrowing scenes and the loss of comrades.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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