Haaretz: Israeli Army Recruiting Soldiers with PTSD Amid Rising Suicides in Gaza War

Watan-On Sunday, the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz revealed that the Israeli army has been recruiting reservists suffering from psychological disorders and PTSD to compensate for a severe shortage in its ranks, as the number of suicides among soldiers has reached 35 since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza.

The report stated that at least 35 Israeli soldiers in active service have committed suicide since the beginning of the war, with 28 of those cases recorded by the end of 2024.

The Israeli army refused to respond to Haaretz’s request for updated official statistics for 2025, raising concerns about transparency in handling a worsening and sensitive issue. An Israeli soldier confessed: “No one asked me about my mental health, and I didn’t want to talk about it because I was afraid I’d be excluded.”

Haaretz focused on the growing number of Israeli soldiers receiving treatment for PTSD and other psychological conditions caused by the ongoing war. According to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, 78,000 individuals from all of Israel’s wars are currently receiving care through its rehabilitation department. Of those, 26,000 suffer from psychological conditions, including 11,000 recognized PTSD patients.

Regarding the current war, more than 17,000 new patients are being treated—around 9,000 of them with psychological injuries—underscoring the war’s deep and growing psychological impact.

The newspaper uncovered that the army has resorted to recruiting mentally ill individuals from the reserve forces to make up for personnel gaps as the war enters its 19th month.

A reserve tank battalion commander acknowledged:“Along with other commanders, we are aware of the recruitment of psychologically wounded soldiers but we look the other way… We just don’t have enough people.”

He added:“I wish I could only call up our original teams, but people simply don’t come. They’re exhausted and have issues at home and work. So we summon others—even those who aren’t mentally or physically fit. We have no choice. The security of the state comes first.”

Psychologically Disabled Soldiers Sent to Gaza

Haaretz received dozens of testimonies confirming that the IDF has recently enlisted individuals for combat roles in the reserves who are:

• In the process of being recognized as psychologically injured by the Defense Ministry.

• Already officially recognized as disabled veterans with PTSD, including some with disabilities exceeding 50%.

None of those interviewed said they were seen by an army mental health specialist prior to deployment. Instead, most were recruited via social media ads posted by officers suffering severe manpower shortages.

One combat-assigned soldier with a disability said:“No one asked about my mental state, and I didn’t want to mention it out of fear of being dismissed.”

In early May, the Israeli army began sending tens of thousands of new conscription orders to reservists, preparing to expand operations in Gaza, according to Yedioth Ahronoth and other Hebrew media outlets.

Meanwhile, Israel has maintained an 18-year blockade on Gaza. As a result of the ongoing genocide, 1.5 million out of 2.4 million Gazans are now homeless, facing widespread famine due to Tel Aviv’s closure of aid crossings.

In March, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel—brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and backed by the U.S.—came to an end. While Hamas upheld its part, Netanyahu backed out of phase two on March 18, resuming genocidal operations to appease the extremist factions in his right-wing government, as reported by Hebrew media.

Since October 7, 2023, with full U.S. support, Israel has committed ongoing genocide in Gaza, leaving around 174,000 Palestinians killed or injured, most of them women and children, with over 11,000 still missing.