Devastating
Shockingly High Suicide Attempts Among IDF Soldiers: Seven Attempts for Every Death
New report by the Knesset Research Center reveals 279 suicide attempts among soldiers from January 2024 to July 2025, with alarming increases among reservists and combat troops.
A groundbreaking report from the Knesset Research and Information Center, requested by MK Ofer Kasif, exposes worrying trends in suicide attempts among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel. According to the study, between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 suicide attempts were recorded among soldiers, meaning that for every completed suicide, seven additional attempts occurred, as reported by Kan News today.
The systematic collection of data on suicide attempts in the IDF began only in 2024. Clinical records from the Medical Corps indicate that 12% of these attempts were classified as severe, while 88% were moderate.
Long-term data show that from 2017 through July 2025, 124 soldiers committed suicide. Of these, 68% were in compulsory service, 21% were active reservists, and 11% served in permanent positions. The report highlights a sharp rise in suicides among reservists since 2023, correlating with the increased number of active reservists following the outbreak of war.
Combat soldiers also present alarming trends. Between 2017 and 2022, they accounted for 42–45% of all soldier suicides; in 2023 this dropped to 17%, only to surge to 78% in 2024. Additionally, in the last two years, only 17% of soldiers who died by suicide had met with a mental health officer (Kaban) in the two months preceding the act.
MK Ofer Kasif emphasized, “No value is greater than human life. The suicide epidemic, likely to worsen with the end of the war, requires real support systems for soldiers, especially peace and an end to wars. A government that sends soldiers to war and captivity, abandoning them afterward, acts against them.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed the issue at a senior command conference at Palmachim Base, stressing, “Mental health care is a top priority. Commanders must be alert, assess the scope in their units, and provide treatment. There is no shame in seeking help, hundreds have received proper care and saved their lives.”