Israeli army probe links spike in soldier suicides to Gaza war trauma

An Israeli military investigation has found that the majority of recent suicides among its soldiers are directly linked to the trauma and extreme conditions experienced during the war in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.

According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN on Sunday, 16 soldiers have taken their own lives since the start of 2025.

Each case of suicide was investigated, including analysis of farewell notes and interviews with those close to the soldiers.

Findings indicated that most suicides stemmed from prolonged exposure to combat, traumatic battlefield experiences, and the psychological toll of losing comrades.

“Most of these suicides are the result of the complex realities created by the war in Gaza. War has consequences,” a senior Israeli military official told KAN.

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According to KAN, 17 Israeli soldiers committed suicide in 2023, and 21 in 2024.

Since the war began, nearly 3,770 soldiers have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the broadcaster said.

Of the estimated 19,000 soldiers wounded during the war, nearly 10,000 are receiving psychological care under the Defense Ministry’s rehabilitation unit.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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