Fatigue, mental health crisis in Israeli army amid Gaza war

Pars Today – Following months of brutal military operations in Gaza, the Israeli army is facing an unprecedented wave of early discharge requests from its personnel.

Pars Today reports that Al Jazeera, citing Israeli media, announced that thousands of Israeli soldiers and officers have formally requested early leave. This move is rooted in severe physical and mental exhaustion from the war, as well as dissatisfaction with recent appointments in the Israeli army’s command.

Decline in combat morale and mental health crisis

The report added that this phenomenon is a clear sign of deep dissatisfaction among the Israeli army’s regular forces and could directly affect the regime’s operational capability in the future.

The Gaza war has not only caused heavy human and financial losses, but also brought widespread psychological consequences for Israeli soldiers. According to an official report by the Knesset, 279 suicide attempts among Israeli military personnel have been recorded over the past 18 months, 40 of which resulted in death.

Alarming suicide statistics among Israeli soldiers

According to Al Jazeera, a long-term review of this phenomenon from 2017 to 2025 shows that 124 Israeli soldiers committed suicide, of whom 68% were conscripts, 21% reservists, and 11% career personnel. Notably, since 2023, suicides among Israeli reservists have risen sharply, a trend linked to the increased deployment of these forces during the Gaza war.

Weak support structures in the Israeli army

Data also shows that only 17% of soldiers who committed suicide had met with a mental health officer in the two months preceding the incident, highlighting a serious shortfall in the army’s psychological support and follow-up systems. In response to this crisis, the Israeli army announced an increase in the number of mental health officers to 800 and has strengthened training for commanders to recognize psychological warning signs.

Severe exhaustion, psychological stress, and traumatic war experiences have placed the Israeli army in a humanitarian crisis, threatening not only the mental health of its personnel but also posing serious challenges to the cohesion and operational efficiency of the military.