Since Hamas’s October 7 massacre, the Israel Defense Forces has recorded 891 casualties among its soldiers in figures released on Thursday, marking the army’s highest death toll since the Yom Kippur War.
The 891 casualties include deaths from operational activities, accidents, and suspected suicides.
In 2023, 558 soldiers fell, with 512 killed during operational activity, including 329 on October 7. An additional 16 died in accidents, such as road and training incidents, while 17 cases were investigated as suspected suicides. These included seven active-duty soldiers, four in regular service, and six in the reserves. In 2024, 363 soldiers died, with 295 killed in operational activity and 23 in accidents, mostly road-related. Twenty-one cases were investigated as suspected suicides, 12 of which were among reservists.
The IDF also observed a troubling increase in suicide cases. In 2022, there were 14 suspected suicides, which rose to 17 in 2023 and 21 in 2024. Most suicides occurred after the war began.
The army added that a 24/7 mental health hotline for soldiers has received more than 3,900 calls since its launch in October 2023. The army has also recruited 800 mental health officers, expanded mental health services, and created a dedicated clinic for active-duty personnel. Commanders are also trained to recognize signs of distress, and comprehensive post-mission debriefings aim to bolster soldiers’ mental resilience.
In a landmark ruling, Israel’s High Court of Justice in December approved a military burial in a civilian cemetery for Maj. (res.) Asaf Dagan, an Israel Air Force navigator who committed suicide in October after battling severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Traditionally, Israeli military regulations reserve full military burials in military cemeteries for soldiers who die while on active duty. The family’s legal battle for a military burial became a high-profile case.
The conflict has also seen a rise in fatalities from operational accidents. Sixty soldiers died in Gaza and five in Lebanon due to mishaps such as misfires and equipment malfunctions. The army said each case is investigated, with findings used to enhance safety protocols.
Most recently, 22-year-old Sgt.-Maj. Yuval Shoham was killed on Tuesday when he was hit by the rotation of the turret of the tank he was in during an operation in the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya.
The war marks the Israeli army’s highest death toll since the Yom Kippur War, when at least 2,500 soldiers were killed in 19 days of fighting.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.
Image - Yonatan Sindel/Flash90