A Nov. 22 report in the Middle East Monitor cites the results of an investigation done by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, released the same day, reporting that six Israeli soldiers have committed suicide in recent months due to the extreme stress of long deployments in Gaza and southern Lebanon. The Israeli military had promised to release figures of the actual number of suicides by the end of this year, which are estimated to be much higher than the small number reported, but has yet to do so.
The daily’s report indicates there is a much broader mental health crisis here, noting that “thousands” of soldiers have sought psychological treatment at mental health clinics or with field psychologists. Many showed symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The report suggests there are many more soldiers suffering from psychological trauma than those who have been injured or wounded physically. Last March, the outgoing head of the IDF’s mental health department, Dr. Lucien Tatsa Laur, told Haaretz that 1,700 soldiers had sought psychological treatment, but the actual number of soldiers suffering from this type of trauma can only be known once the military operations come to an end.
