How the Israeli Army hushes up the staggering rise in suicides since October 7.

Lately, Israel has made its intentions increasingly clear regarding a renewed assault on Gaza. At the same time, Israeli soldiers returning from Palestine have reported severe psychological distress and worsening mental health conditions.

Cases of suicide among Israeli Defence Forces have been reported repeatedly, even prior to October 7. In recent months, however, the numbers appear to have risen dramatically, as Israel finds itself submerged in the consequences of the violence it has inflicted upon others.

Reports point to a growing mental health crisis within Israeli society, one that the state’s mechanisms of suppression no longer seem capable of containing. For years, Israel relied on a range of technologies and military practices designed to minimise direct exposure to combat.

More specifically, the IDF adopted the SGB procedure, an experimental form of anesthetic treatment intended to limit post-traumatic stress responses. Beyond that, the military promoted resilience-based combat training and increasingly relied on remote warfare technologies and AI-assisted systems aimed at distancing soldiers from direct confrontation.

That is no longer the case. As Israel advances further into Lebanon and Palestine, the IDF can no longer shield its soldiers from face-to-face combat. Once the adrenaline of war recedes, once comrades stop offering congratulatory pats on the back, many soldiers appear unable to escape the weight of what they have witnessed — or participated in.

The American Psychiatric Association now recognises moral injury as a legitimate condition requiring clinical attention. Increasingly, clinicians and journalists have adopted the term in reference to soldiers returning from Gaza, as authorities rush to medicate and manage those suffering from profound psychological distress.

In fact, they describe moral injury, as a condition linked not only to trauma but to participation in or exposure to acts perceived as morally transgressive. Haaretz reported that a plethora of soldiers felt the consequences of war in a different manner than simple PTSD.

But it’s not only the army that suffers. According to the Jerusalem Post, nearly three million people — almost a third of Israel’s population — are exhibiting symptoms of PTSD, depression, or anxiety, while only 0.6% of the population has reportedly received treatment.

Is this Israel’s newest method of absolving itself of responsibility?

According to the Knesset Research and Information Center, between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 soldiers attempted suicide and 36 died. It is important to note that, for years, annual military suicides rarely exceeded 13 cases. In the past, those who died were often not actively serving in combat and had usually not sought mental health treatment. Today, however, the majority of victims are combat soldiers.

According to the data, combat soldiers accounted for 78% of military suicide cases in 2024, compared to roughly 42–45% in previous years.

Although the Israeli government continues to downplay the scale of the issue, CNN has reported that more than 500 people die by suicide annually in Israel, while over 6,000 attempt it, with experts estimating an under-reporting rate of approximately 23%.

The Defense Ministry’s rehabilitation department has also announced that roughly 11,000 soldiers have sought mental health support within the system since October 7.

Additionally, the state does not classify the suicides of former soldiers who participated in the genocide but died after discharge as military deaths. According to Haaretz, there have been at least a dozen cases involving men suffering from PTSD symptoms or severe psychological distress. Once discharged, their deaths are absorbed into civilian statistics, detached from the violence that shaped them.

Reuters reported a nearly 40% rise in PTSD cases among Israeli troops since late 2023 and cited Defense Ministry projections anticipating a 180% increase by 2028.

Even though the Israeli government does not directly acknowledge the crisis, state-aligned media outlets appear less hesitant to engage with it. As the term moral injury gains traction, audiences are increasingly encouraged to sympathise with perpetrators portrayed as unwilling participants in an unavoidable war.

These individuals are led to believe that there was no alternative, legitimising the guilt that intensifies once the reality of their actions settles in. What emerges is no longer framed as simple remorse not even PTSD, but as a psychological condition, a moral injury produced by prolonged exposure to violence and destruction.

In this way, a state that can no longer convincingly present its expansionist policies as acts of self-defence manages, once again, to reposition itself as the victim.