More Israeli soldiers have already died in the current war than in the previous ten years combined. The number of suicides has also increased.
Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, 891 soldiers have been killed. The Israel Defense Forces published a corresponding report at the beginning of January.
Of those killed, 329 were killed on the day of the Hamas massacre or shortly thereafter. 390 soldiers died in the Gaza Strip and 50 in Lebanon. In addition, there were 11 deaths in Judea and Samaria and 37 in northern Israel, as reported by the newspaper "Ma'ariv". In 2023, 558 soldiers were killed, and in 2024, the number was 363.
These are the highest losses since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. In the entire decade before the Hamas terror massacre, there were 152 fatalities. This includes the soldiers who died during Operation Strong Rock in the summer of 2014.
The current figure includes 65 service members who died in accidents. Of these, 29 died in traffic accidents, 13 during training, and 65 during military operations. In addition, 1,440 soldiers were injured in accidents.
According to statistics, the total number of wounded is 5,569 members of the armed forces. Of these, 815 suffered serious injuries and 1,387 suffered moderate injuries.
More suicides: Emergency hotline established
The number of suicides has also increased. In 2023, 27 soldiers took their own lives, including six reservists. In 2024, the number was 21 soldiers, including twelve reservists. In 2022, the army had recorded 13 suicides.
The military says it has responded to the situation by establishing a hotline for soldiers with mental health problems. According to the report, the hotline received 3,900 calls. To meet the high demand, 850 military psychologists have been recruited from the reserves. The army also attributes the increase to the fact that significantly more reservists are deployed than usual due to the war. (Israelnetz)
