2 female Israeli soldiers commit suicide, military toll reaches at least 16 this year: Report

According to Haaretz, one soldier serving in the Bardelas Battalion died Tuesday after being found injured at a base in southern Israel. The other, who served in a classified role in the Military Intelligence Directorate, died two days earlier at the Glilot base near Ramat Hasharon, north of Tel Aviv.

At least nine additional soldiers who served during the Gaza war, either in regular service or the reserves, died by suicide this year after completing active duty, the newspaper said.

According to Haaretz, the figures indicate a rise in military suicides since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

Before the war, the military recorded an average of 12 suicides a year over the previous decade. From Oct. 7 through the end of 2023, seven active-duty soldiers died by suicide. The number rose to 21 in 2024 and 22 in 2025, the highest annual total in 15 years, according to military data cited by the newspaper.

The newspaper noted that the military has identified several cases in which participation in the war was directly linked to suicide, including reservists diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in or around Gaza.

Israel has continued its genocidal war in Gaza since Oct. 8, 2023. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 injured, most of them women and children.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have continued, killing at least 1,207 Palestinians and injuring 3,914 others, according to the ministry.