Why and how do Israeli soldiers RELEASE themselves?
In the social and political structure of the Israeli regime, the army is not only a military institution but also the axis of the regime’s identity and the guarantor of its ideological survival.
In the Zionist perspective, compulsory military service for men and women has turned the army into a symbol of social unity and a tool for shaping desirable Israeli citizens. However, behind the disciplined and seemingly powerful facade of the Israeli army, a deep crisis is unfolding in the form of an increase in suicides among soldiers and reservists.
According to a report by the Knesset Research Center in October 2025, from 2017 to mid-2025, 124 military suicides were recorded in the Israeli army, including 68% among active duty soldiers, 21% among active reservists, and 11% among regular forces.
This phenomenon is not just an individual or psychological issue. Still, it is a sign of the moral and psychological erosion of an institution that has been built on the axis of war and occupation for decades.
Historical trends in suicide in the Israeli army
Studies of suicide in the Israeli army began in the 1970s. At that time, the average annual suicide rate was about 10 to 12, but after the Yom Kippur (1973) and Lebanon (1982) wars, this number increased to 15 to 18. This increase was accompanied by the return of soldiers suffering from severe psychological trauma, guilt over the killing of civilians, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Studies by Israeli military psychologists in the 1980s showed that about half of the soldiers who committed suicide suffered from deep depression, emotional breakdowns, or family problems. Interestingly, many of them were diagnosed as “completely healthy” psychologically in their initial medical evaluations. These findings showed that the army’s strict selection model itself has become a risk factor, since soldiers who suppress their emotions are more vulnerable to psychological stress.
From 1974 to 2001, more than 830 suicides were recorded in the army. About 60 percent of the victims were between 18 and 21 years old, and more than half of them were in their first year of service. The 1990s saw this trend continue, with research revealing that the highest number of cases occurred in the first six months of service and in the final month before discharge, when soldiers face an identity crisis and a sense of meaninglessness.
In recent decades, each new war has been accompanied by a significant increase in suicides. In the Second Lebanon War (2006) and the Gaza War (2014), suicide rates increased compared to the ceasefire period. But the Gaza War of 2023-2025 is considered a historical turning point; a crisis whose dimensions went beyond the individual and became a structural problem in the Israeli army.
New statistics and evidence 2025-2017
According to a report by the Knesset Research Center in October 2025, from 2017 to mid-2025, 124 military suicides were recorded in the Israeli army, including 68 percent among active duty soldiers, 21 percent among active reserve forces, and 11 percent among regular forces.
The annual suicide rate from 2017 to 2022 averaged 14, but this number rose to 17 in 2023, 21 in 2024, and 17 by July 2025. During the same period, 279 suicide attempts were reported; in other words, for every successful suicide, there were about seven failed suicides.
91 percent of the victims were male, and only 17 percent had used military psychological services before their deaths. More than two-thirds of these individuals served in combat units and were directly involved in the Gaza operation. According to estimates by the Israeli Defense Ministry, by 2025, more than 11,000 soldiers will be in mental health programs, and between 20,000 and 30,000 more will have undiagnosed PTSD.