With internal acknowledgment in Israel of the military and economic repercussions of the ongoing war in Gaza for over eight months, official reports reveal a "heavy price" related to the human losses of the Israeli army, which includes an increase in the number of soldiers suffering from "severe" mental disorders, with some experiencing "suicidal tendencies."
Psychological consultants and political analysts have told "Sky News Arabia" that the length of the war in Gaza and the lack of a clear timeline for ending the fighting have placed Israeli soldiers under the strain of mental health issues ranging from depression and obsession to suicidal tendencies and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which are "chronic" symptoms that require prolonged treatment.
### What Happened to Israeli Soldiers?
Israeli media reports have revealed a rise in the number of disabled soldiers receiving treatment in rehabilitation sections of the Ministry of Defense, reaching 70,000 soldiers, following the addition of 8,663 injured since the war began on October 7. The Israeli Channel 7 noted that 35 percent of the injured are being treated for mental illnesses, while an analysis by specialists indicated that approximately 40 percent of the wounded who will be hospitalized by the end of the year may face various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, adaptation difficulties, and communication difficulties.
The "Jerusalem Post" reported that over 10,000 reserve soldiers requested mental health services. In February, the rehabilitation section of the Israeli army decided to form teams of psychologists and nurses capable of dealing with suicidal tendencies to assess soldiers suffering from psychological disorders. This step came after the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" revealed that 10 Israeli officers and soldiers had committed suicide since the beginning of the war, while Israeli radio reported days ago about another soldier's suicide after receiving orders to return to military service in Gaza.
In mid-March, the Israeli army acknowledged facing the "biggest mental health problem" since 1973, stating that about 1,700 soldiers had undergone psychological treatment and that 85 percent of them had returned to service. At the beginning of this year, the Israeli army discharged 90 soldiers due to "psychological issues," according to "Haaretz."
### Anticipated "Psychological" Consequences
Psychiatric consultant Jamal Farwi, who has worked as a psychiatric consultant for the United Nations in several conflict areas, stated that psychological rehabilitation is crucial and necessary before wars begin to "boost morale and provide basic needs for fighters, such as food and drink, while increasing the sense of security during combat missions," alongside reinforcing the combat doctrine for which they are fighting, emphasizing that "the more these basic needs are met, the more disciplined things become."
Farwi believes that "the Israeli army was not able to provide psychological rehabilitation to its soldiers in advance, especially since the current war was not pre-planned on its part, following the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7." Nevertheless, he stressed that "the more unclear the goal of the war is, combined with a growing sense of insecurity, the more severely it impacts the psychological state of the fighter, leading to a loss of control and focus, making communication with the operations room overseeing what is happening on the ground more challenging, and thus increasing human losses."
Farwi noted that the psychological illnesses resulting from the Gaza war range from "depression, hallucinations, and schizophrenia, to severe PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidal tendencies," emphasizing that "genetic factors play a greater role in the increase of these symptoms." He confirmed that "wars increase the depression rate, especially in conflicts with unclear objectives, while suicide rates rise as a means of escaping the difficult reality and current pressures, especially with the prolonged duration of the war and the absence of a post-conflict plan." However, he stressed that "the main psychological issues have yet to manifest and will be more evident on both sides after the fighting stops."
### An Inside Israeli Perspective
Israeli political analyst Yoav Stern emphasized that research indicates that participation in war has a psychological effect on fighters in all wars, not just the Gaza War. Stern added to "Sky News Arabia" that "the war in Gaza has negatively affected some Israeli soldiers, and I believe there are cases that have not been reported for various reasons, including that these soldiers do not want to carry the stigma."
The Israeli political analyst considered the official authorities' disclosure of the number of soldiers suffering from mental illnesses as "a source of strength in announcing these facts rather than a weakness," calling for greater attention to be paid to treatment methods for soldiers affected negatively by the war to mitigate this phenomenon.
