Rise in suicides, total deaths, seen among IDF soldiers in 2022, says military

By Emanuel Fabian

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3 January 2023, 5:24 pm

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Israeli soldiers place flags on the graves of fallen soldiers in Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on May 2, 2022. Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Israel Defense Forces saw an increase in the number of soldiers killed in uniform over the past year — 44 compared to the previous year’s 31 — as well as a rise in the number of suicides, according to fresh statistics released by the military.

Suicide remains the leading cause of death, with at least 14 soldiers believed to have taken their own lives in 2022, compared to 11 in 2021.

Three soldiers were killed in combat over the past year: Maj. Bar Falah, Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch and Sgt. Noa Lazar.

Six soldiers were killed in car crashes while on leave and 10 soldiers died of illnesses in 2022. Six soldiers were killed in work or training accidents, and one in a car crash while on duty, according to the data.