Suicide Attempts in the Israeli Military Are Seven Times Higher Than Suicide Rates
An official report from the occupied territories highlighted a sharp rise in suicide attempts among Israeli soldiers during the last 18 months, marking an unprecedented sign of a deepening mental health crisis within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to webangah News Agency.
Compiled by the Knesset Research and Information Center at the request of parliamentarian Ofer Cassif, the report documented 279 suicide attempts between January 2024 and July 2025, indicating that for every completed suicide, there were seven attempts within this period.
The data collection on this issue began regularly in 2024, revealing that 12 percent of these attempts were classified as serious, while 88 percent were considered moderate according to official statistics.
The report also provided long-term data on suicides among soldiers, showing that 124 military personnel died by suicide between 2017 and july 2025. Of these, 68 percent were active-duty soldiers, 21 percent reservists, and 11 percent career military personnel.
It noted a significant increase in suicides among reservists since 2023, which has raised their share of annual soldier suicides nationwide.
According to the findings, the IDF is witnessing a “worrying surge” in soldier suicides. The information also revealed that only 17 percent of soldiers who attempted suicide had met with a mental health officer within two months prior to their attempt, indicating insufficient follow-up and support within military units.
