By Said Amori
JERUSALEM (AA) – At least six Israeli soldiers have taken their own lives in recent months, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Friday, citing severe psychological distress caused by prolonged wars in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon as the primary cause.
The investigation suggests the actual number of suicides may be higher, as the Israeli military has yet to release official figures, despite a promise to disclose them by the end of the year.
The report highlights a broader mental health crisis within the Israeli army. Thousands of soldiers have sought help from military mental health clinics or field psychologists, with approximately a third of those affected showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
According to the investigation, the number of soldiers suffering psychological trauma may exceed those with physical injuries from the war.
The daily cites experts as saying the full extent of this mental health crisis will become clear once military operations are completed and troops return to normal life.
In March, Lucian Tatsa-Laur, head of the Israeli military’s mental health department, told Haaretz that approximately 1,700 soldiers had received psychological treatment.
Multiple reports have since emerged indicating that thousands of troops are suffering from mental health issues owing to extended deployments in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Regional tension has escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 44,000 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.
The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with figures and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court on Thursday announced it had issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.
The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of the Gaza war.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio