As the conflict with Hamas becomes Israel’s longest war, the psychological toll on its military is exploding, overwhelming official channels and fueling a rise in suicide cases.
SDOT YAM, Israel – The battle doesn’t end when soldiers leave the front lines. For a growing number of Israeli troops, the war has moved inward, manifesting as post-traumatic stress, debilitating anxiety, and a tragic rise in suicides.
New data from Israel’s defense ministry reveals the depth of the crisis: nearly 11,000 soldiers have suffered “mental health injuries” since the war began on Oct. 7. This surge accounts for over a third of all such cases from Israel’s conflicts over the past 76 years.
The statistics are stark. Before the war, soldier suicides averaged 13 per year. Last year, that number jumped to 21. A recent parliamentary report added that hundreds more have attempted to take their own lives.
Healing with Horses and Snakes
With the national healthcare system strained, grassroots organizations are becoming critical lifelines. At the Back2Life farm, a therapeutic center co-founded in memory of a soldier lost to PTSD-related suicide, veterans find solace through rescue animals.
One 27-year-old former sergeant major, wounded in a missile attack, finds a rare sense of calm by handling snakes. “It doesn’t matter if a plane goes by… Because I’m here with the snake right now,” he said, describing the activity as grounding him against his panic attacks and hypervigilance.
Specialists note that the war’s protracted nature, with soldiers serving multiple deployments, prevents the psychological recovery possible after shorter conflicts.
“We’re seeing a generational difference in willingness to seek help, but the system is facing a scale it wasn’t designed for,” said Limor Luria of the defense ministry’s Rehabilitation Department.
The Enduring Stigma
Despite increased awareness, the cultural stigma surrounding mental health in the military remains a formidable enemy. Veterans report feeling disconnected from civilian life and family, haunted by their experiences.
A 32-year-old reservist tasked with collecting bodies after the Oct. 7 attack was tormented by the smell of decay long after returning home. “I started to smell dead bodies… all the time,” he recalled. As a therapist himself, he knew to seek help and now advocates for stronger leadership from commanders to break the stigma.
“When the commander says you can get help,” he noted, “it works better.”
As the war grinds on, Israel is facing a parallel battle—one to save the minds of the soldiers who fought it.
