As Israel marks nearly two years since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the country is confronting a mounting internal crisis: a dramatic rise in post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among its military personnel. The mental health toll has surged in tandem with one of the most intense periods of combat in Israel’s history, and the strain is now emerging as a major domestic emergency that threatens the well-being of soldiers, reservists, and their families long after the front lines have moved.
Reports from Israel’s Defence Ministry and major health providers reveal that the war’s psychological impact is deepening even as fighting continues in Gaza and Lebanon and tensions with Iran intensify. The conflict rapidly expanded beyond Gaza into cross-border exchanges with Hezbollah in Lebanon, drawing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and reservists into sustained combat. Israeli forces have suffered significant losses, with more than 1,100 service members killed since October 7. Palestinian officials report that over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 4,400 in southern Lebanon, while the Gaza Strip remains devastated, its population deprived of basic necessities and medical care. In this environment, mental health experts warn that trauma is not confined to the battlefield; it has become a national wound.
The scale of psychological injury among Israeli troops is now clear. The Defence Ministry has recorded a nearly 40% increase in PTSD cases among soldiers since September 2023 and predicts a staggering 180% rise by 2028. Among the 22,300 troops and personnel currently being treated for war-related injuries, the ministry says 60% are suffering from post-traumatic conditions. The crisis has compelled the military to expand mental health services, increase budgets, and widen access to alternative treatments, yet many experts say the response is still outpaced by need.
Israel’s second-largest healthcare provider, Maccabi, reported in its 2025 annual report that 39% of military personnel under its care sought mental health support, while 26% expressed concerns about depression. Beyond institutional services, grassroots and non-governmental efforts have proliferated, with organizations like HaGal Sheli employing unconventional therapies such as surfing to help veterans cope with PTSD. Some former soldiers have turned to therapy dogs for comfort, underscoring the desperate search for relief.
Yet the nature of the trauma is not limited to fear and violence. Clinical psychologist Ronen Sidi, who directs combat veteran research at Emek Medical Center, describes a dual crisis: soldiers are haunted not only by the terror of combat, but also by “moral injury”—the psychological damage inflicted by actions taken in war that clash with a person’s conscience. Many soldiers experienced the brutal Hamas invasion firsthand, witnessing atrocities and losing comrades, and those memories remain vivid. But even when their decisions were made under fire, the weight of killing civilians—women and children injured or killed in the fog of war—has left many unable to reconcile their actions with their moral beliefs. Sidi warns that these moral wounds are especially difficult because they cannot be undone.
The personal toll is evident in the stories of those who served. One reservist, identified only as Paul, a 28-year-old father of three, said he left a high-powered job after returning from combat roles in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. He described living in a constant state of alert, unable to shake the sound of bullets overhead. “I live that way every day,” he said, a statement that speaks to the enduring, intrusive nature of trauma that follows soldiers into civilian life.
Compounding the problem is the barrier to treatment. Soldiers seeking official state support for mental health must undergo an assessment process through a Defence Ministry committee, which can take months. This bureaucratic delay can deter those in need, particularly when symptoms are escalating. While the ministry asserts that immediate help is provided once a soldier begins the evaluation, experts say the system remains overwhelmed. A parliamentary committee report found that 279 soldiers attempted suicide between January 2024 and July 2025—a sharp rise compared with previous years. In 2024, combat soldiers accounted for 78% of all suicide cases in Israel, highlighting how deeply war trauma is penetrating the military’s ranks.
Sidi emphasizes that the risk of suicide and self-harm rises sharply when trauma goes untreated. “After October 7 and the war, the mental health institutions in Israel are overwhelmed completely,” he said. “A lot of people either can’t get therapy or don’t even understand the distress they are feeling has to do with what they have experienced.”
As the war continues, so does the exposure to further trauma. Israel’s military remains deployed across more than half of Gaza, where fighting persists despite a U.S.-backed truce, and recent months have seen additional casualties. Israeli troops also continue to occupy parts of southern Lebanon while the Lebanese army works to disarm Hezbollah, and Israel maintains an expanded presence in southern Syria. Meanwhile, relations with Iran remain volatile, with the U.S. warning of potential escalation. The specter of another confrontation with Tehran hangs over Israel, suggesting that the mental health crisis could deepen as soldiers remain on constant alert for new conflicts.
