Israel says some 16,500 of its soldiers have been treated for physical and psychological injuries since one of the region’s bloodiest conflicts in decades began a year and a half ago.
Israel’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that almost half – 7,300 – of the impacted soldiers had sustained psychological harm since its military began operations in Gaza in October 2023.
Limur Luria, head of the ministry’s rehabilitation department said those impacted suffered from post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety attacks and depression.
Israel says more than 400 military personnel have died since it began operations in Gaza after more than 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attack.
More than 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have meanwhile been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to local health officials.
In light of the upcoming Jewish festival of Passover, Luria called for particular sensitivity towards mentally injured members of Israel’s armed forces and for less stigmatization of mental illness.
A hotline is available around the clock for those affected, but also for family members. “Suicide prevention is a joint task for all of us,” Luria said.
The Defence Ministry says it has significantly expanded services for soldiers who have sustained psychological harm since the beginning of the Gaza war. It said more than a thousand mental health professionals have been recruited and crisis intervention teams have been formed.
For urgent and short-term psychological support, three special recovery homes are available as an alternative to hospitalization, with three more to follow this month.