279 IDF soldiers attempted suicide since start of 2024, Knesset report finds

A new report from the Knesset Research and Information Center reveals that between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 Israel Defense Forces soldiers attempted to take their own lives.

The report, prepared at the request of far-left Hadash-Ta’al lawmaker Ofer Cassif, found that for every soldier who died by suicide, seven additional attempts were recorded.

According to the report, combat soldiers made up 78% of all suicides in Israel in 2024 — a sharp rise from previous years, when the rate hovered between 42% and 45% from 2017 to 2022. The increase may be partly linked to the surge in reservist mobilization following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which drew tens of thousands of troops back into active service during the war.

Most of the data was supplied by the IDF Medical Corps’ mental health center, as well as from discussions held in various Knesset committees.

The report clarifies that the figures refer only to soldiers serving at the time of their death or attempt — whether in regular or reserve service — and do not include veterans who took their own lives after completing military duty.