16 Israeli soldiers have committed suicide since start of 2025: KAN

By Said Amori and Mohammad Sio

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL (AA) - Sixteen Israeli soldiers have died by suicide since the beginning of 2025, bringing the total number of suicides in the military to 54 since the genocide on Gaza began in October 2023, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.

The report said the latest figures include eight active-duty soldiers, seven reservists and one career soldier. In 2024, 21 soldiers died by suicide, and in 2023, the number was 17.

The broadcaster noted a noticeable spike in suicide rates among reservists, who have been heavily involved in combat operations.

In addition, nearly 3,770 soldiers have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), KAN reported.

Of the 19,000 soldiers wounded since the war began, roughly 10,000 are experiencing psychological symptoms and are receiving care through the Defense Ministry’s rehabilitation department, the broadcaster added.

The Israeli military has been holding workshops to promote psychological resilience and is referring combat veterans to military psychologists in a bid to confront what officials are calling a “worrying phenomenon.”

Earlier in the day, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily, citing a military statement, said that Ariel Meir Taman, a reservist soldier, was found dead at his home Sunday night in southern Israel.

A military investigation has been opened to identify the cause of death, as the soldier is suspected to have taken his own life, the daily said.

According to military data, 895 Israeli soldiers had been reported killed and 6,134 injured since the beginning of the war in Gaza. The army faces domestic accusations of concealing higher losses.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.