80,000 mentally ill in Israeli army since October 7, amid alarming rise in suicides
OCCUPIED QUDS, July 20 (YPA) – The Israeli Ministry of Defense, through its Rehabilitation Department, revealed on Sunday that the number of psychological cases among its soldiers has risen to 80,000 since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
The ministry explained that 65% of these cases are reservists called up during military operations.
This statement comes at a time of growing concerns within the military establishment about the effects of the ongoing war, not only at the operational level but also on the psychological and morale levels of soldiers. These concerns are heightened by the rise in suicide rates among the ranks of the occupation army.
In this context, Hebrew media stated on Sunday that a soldier died of his injuries after attempting suicide last week inside a military base.
Hebrew media reported the death of Corporal Dan Philipsen, a Norwegian-born soldier who joined the occupation army a year ago. He was found with a gunshot wound inside a training base and died days later in the hospital. His passing brings the number of suicides in the army this year to 19, four of which occurred in the past two weeks.
The Israeli military tends to keep these cases secret, issuing only annual reports. This has sparked criticism of its handling of a phenomenon that Israeli psychological experts say is on the rise.
Haaretz newspaper revealed a rise in suicide rates among IDF soldiers in 2025, noting that the figures do not reflect the extent of the psychological crisis within the army.
Experts believe that the increase in mental illness and suicides reveals deep rifts in the fighting spirit, especially after the failure of the Gaza operations and the mounting casualties, which have weakened confidence in the effectiveness of the battles, even among elite forces.
This crisis reflects the mounting challenges facing the military establishment, most notably psychological pressure, social fragmentation, and a growing sense of helplessness amid an ongoing war of attrition.
YPA