Suicides in Israeli Military Reach 15 in 2025, Haaretz Reports Alarming Trend
TEL AVIV, July 16, 2025 – A disturbing pattern of suicides within the Israeli military is accelerating in 2025, with 15 soldiers taking their own lives since January, according to a recent report by Haaretz. This grim statistic comes amid fresh tragedy, as a combat soldier died by suicide on a northern Israeli base just this Monday – the third such death in only eight days.
The latest incident, confirmed by the Israeli military, is currently under investigation by the Military Police Criminal Investigations Department. It underscores a deeply concerning trend that has persisted since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.
War’s Toll: A Rising Wave of Loss
Haaretz’s investigation reveals the cumulative toll:
- October 7, 2023 – December 31, 2023: 7 soldiers died by suicide.
- 2024: 21 soldiers died by suicide.
- 2025 (to date, July 16): 15 soldiers have died by suicide.
This brings the total number of military suicides since the war began to 43. Notably, the Israeli military has reportedly declined to provide an official figure for 2025 to Haaretz, stating it will only release consolidated data at the end of the year.
Reservists Bear the Brunt, Combat Strain Suspected
Military officials cited by Haaretz point to the significantly increased number of active personnel, particularly reservists mobilized for extended periods, as a key factor behind the rising numbers. The report indicates that a majority of those who died by suicide in this period were reservists.
Perhaps more tellingly, sources suggest a shift in the perceived triggers. While suicides attributed primarily to personal reasons appear to be declining, the overall numbers are rising – pointing towards mental health strains directly linked to combat experiences and prolonged military service as increasingly dominant factors.
A Silent Crisis Demanding Attention
Monday’s death, the third in little over a week, casts a stark light on the human cost beyond battlefield casualties. The Haaretz report paints a picture of a mounting mental health crisis within the ranks, heavily impacting reservists thrust back into prolonged conflict, and suggests the pressures of war are taking a severe psychological toll.
The Israeli military’s standard policy is to investigate each suicide. However, the accelerating pace in 2025 and the overall trend since October 2023 raise urgent questions about the adequacy of current mental health support systems for soldiers, especially those serving extended deployments in a high-intensity conflict. The refusal to provide real-time 2025 figures, while standard procedure, also highlights the challenge of tracking and publicly addressing this critical issue as it unfolds.