Israeli Drone Unit Operators Face Chaotic Conditions; The Reality Is Alarming
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and Al-Nashra, Israeli sources have confirmed a continuing wave of suicides among the regime’s military personnel.
The Israeli media outlet Haaretz reported that a senior Air Force officer serving in the drone unit committed suicide several weeks ago after returning from reserve duty during the Gaza conflict.
The officer’s name remains undisclosed due to military censorship. Colleagues stated he suffered progressive mental health disorders and was unable to cope with witnessing scenes of destruction and killing during drone operations in Gaza.
military sources confirmed that this officer was one of the moast seasoned drone operators in the Israeli army. He had been receiving psychiatric treatment for months but remained on active duty due to his critical role in multiple fronts of warfare.
His comrades recalled that, during his final weeks, he repeatedly expressed opposition to continuing the war in Gaza. He said, “what is happening leaves indelible scars.”
He also said that “the spirits of innocent victims and children killed in Gaza do not leave me alone.”
The report adds that many members of Israel’s drone unit face severe ethical dilemmas and psychological distress.
One operator remarked: “People think our work is like a video game, but reality is terrifying.Even though we’re far from the battlefield physically,mentally we are closest to death. We see images clearly; we hear explosions; we know who dies or gets wounded. Sometimes we’re ordered to strike targets later found not to be real threats. Some of us know we have mistakenly killed children-something unfeasible to ignore.”
Another operator shared a harrowing experience that changed his life: “I received orders to fire at two people near Netzarim road. Later it turned out they were two children possibly searching for food. At first I felt indifferent, but over time whenever I close my eyes their faces come back vividly. I feel ashamed and no longer recognize myself as who I was before.”
An Israeli military medical officer acknowledged this suicide revealed a failure within military structures regarding understanding and managing psychological risks.
The officer emphasized that intense psychological pressure, daily exposure to death, and lack of support after service combine into a deadly mix causing isolation and guilt among Israeli soldiers.
Fellow officers serving in the same unit admit many now feel abandoned with their memories and nightmares-and some wrestle with suicidal thoughts following the war’s end.
One stated: “We thoght once we left operations rooms, danger woudl be over-but truthfully battle begins when you return home with images stuck inside your mind refusing to disappear.”
