1,152 security personnel killed, 885 children bereaved: Two years on from Oct. 7, Defense Ministry data shows the toll of war

Marking two years since Hamas’s devastating attack on October 7, 2023, the Defense Ministry has released updated figures on the country’s fallen security personnel.

Since the outbreak of the war, 1,152 personnel have been killed. The figures include all soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet agents, and civilian security officers who died on and since October 7, 2023, whether in the line of duty or as a result of an accident, illness, or suicide.

Most were killed during fighting in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and the West Bank.

Approximately 42% of the fallen were under the age of 21, most of them young men serving in mandatory military service, and 141 were over the age of 40, highlighting the wide age range of those who lost their lives.

The conflict has added more than 6,500 family members to Israel’s circle of bereavement, including 1,973 parents, 351 widows, 885 children, and 3,481 siblings.

Over 200 of the fallen were buried at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, and in total, funerals have been conducted in 264 cemeteries and military plots across Israel, with 24 plots expanded and new military cemeteries established. Eight fallen soldiers were also transferred abroad for burial, accompanied by Defense Ministry staff.

The ministry’s department for the families of fallen soldiers, commemoration and heritage has overseen the burial of the fallen, the renovation and creation of memorials, and the provision of comprehensive emotional and financial support to bereaved families.

The department implemented a 60 million NIS ($18 million) reform of family care and support services, provided targeted assistance through special committees, and set up a network of financial volunteers to support bereaved families.

“The State of Israel bears a heavy price — the history of our country has been written in the blood of our sons and daughters,” head of the department for the families of fallen soldiers, commemoration and heritage Aryeh Moalem says.

“The department’s employees see their work as a mission and continue to commemorate the memory of the fallen, preserve their heritage for future generations, and accompany the bereaved families with emotional and welfare support.”