Israel’s longest war is leaving a trail of traumatized soldiers, with a growing number suffering from mental health illnesses after two years of war with Hamas. Reports of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental health problems are increasing among soldiers, as are suicides.
Israel’s defense ministry says it has documented nearly 11,000 soldiers suffering from “mental health injuries” since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza. That accounts for more than a third of the total 31,000 troops with such injuries in all of Israel’s conflicts since its founding nearly 80 years ago. The ministry defines mental health injuries as PTSD, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
Suicides have also spiked. In the decade preceding the war, the number of soldiers taking their own lives in the army averaged 13 per year. Since the war, the number has risen, with 21 soldiers dying by suicide last year, according to the army. The figures — which account for active duty and reserve troops — don’t include soldiers who took their own lives after leaving the military.
A report published by Israel’s parliament last month said an additional 279 soldiers tried to take their own lives from January 2024 through July 2025 but survived.
“There’s now a genuine understanding that psychological injuries have profound consequences and that treatment is both necessary and practical,” said Limor Luria, deputy director general and head of the defense ministry’s Rehabilitation Department.
