01 May 2023; MEMO: Suicide rates among the Israeli military are on the rise, presenting a "dangerous and daunting" challenge, warned Lieutenant- General Herzi Halevi according to a report published by Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
The chief of general staff also called on military authorities to devise a solution to address the growing problem. Local media reported that three Israeli soldiers committed suicide since the beginning of this month, two of whom took their own lives last week.
Last year, 14 Israeli soldiers committed suicide on duty, representing the highest figure recorded in five years, reported Yedioth Ahronoth.
According to a report last year by The Times of Israel, suicide remains the leading cause of death among Israeli soldiers, noting that of the 11 soldiers who took their own lives in 2021, three were from the members of the Ethiopian community.
Commenting on the phenomenon Ahmed Awad, head of the Jerusalem Center for Future Studies at Al-Quds University, was quoted last year as saying, "Suicide is a major phenomenon within the Occupation army, a pressing phenomenon that cannot be covered up or denied, so the occupying army is forced to reveal some details of this phenomenon."
"Suicide is escalating because the Occupation army is restless and sleepless and has a lot of pressure, from war to maneuver to security work in different areas," he added.
Official date from the Information and Research Center of the Knesset, found that the Israeli government registers 500 suicides each year, including 100 cases of people in the 15-24 age bracket.
