The Israeli military has released its first official casualty figures since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, revealing that thousands of soldiers are experiencing psychological difficulties and withdrawing from frontline duties.
According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, at least 891 officers and soldiers have been killed thus far, marking the highest military death toll since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. By comparison, the newspaper reported that 152 Israeli soldiers were killed in the decade preceding the current conflict, including the 2014 Gaza war.
Israeli military radio has reported that 28 soldiers have taken their own lives since the war began, including 16 reservists, representing the highest suicide rate in 13 years.
IDF data shows that 38 soldiers are believed to have died by suicide across 2023 and 2024, with 28 of these occurring after the 7 October 2023 attack. This compares to 14 cases in 2022 and 11 in 2021.
The Israeli military has also announced that thousands of soldiers have ceased combat duties due to mental health disorders since 7 October 2023.
Israel has killed at least 45,000 Palestinians, with 102,000 wounded, since the October 7 attack by Hamas. It has also killed around 3,000 in Lebanon and Syria, while around 3 million people have been displaced from their homes as a result of the war. The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage.
Experts, governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations have accused Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people.
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