clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

10,000 Israel soldiers will face psychological crises by end of 2024, official data finds

April 18, 2024 at 2:12 pm

The Israeli army evacuates its soldiers who were wounded in battles in Gaza via a helicopter for medical treatment at Beilinson Hospital near Tel Aviv, Israel on December 18, 2023 [Nir Keidar/Anadolu via Getty Images]

The Israeli Ministry of Defence’s Rehabilitation Department said it has received 7,209 wounded soldiers since the beginning of the war on Gaza on 7 October, and that 30 per cent of them had developed psychological issues as a result of the war.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said about 60 per cent of the wounded soldiers had psychological trauma as the primary form of injury.

The statement estimated that during the current year, approximately 8,000 new soldiers facing psychological crises will be accommodated in the Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Division, noting that the division is preparing to accommodate 20,000 new soldiers until the end of the year, including 8,000 soldiers who develop psychological traumas such as panic, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, difficulties in adapting, difficulties in communication, psychological illnesses, etc and that their number may rise to 10,000.

READ: Gaza works to rehabilitate Al-Shifa Hospital amid Israel’s ongoing onslaught