Suicide of senior Israeli army officer

According to the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, the officer — a veteran and highly professional figure in Israel’s drone unit — took his own life several months ago. Israel’s military censorship apparatus has so far prevented the publication of his name or any identifying details.

As reported by the Palestinian news agency Shehab, the officer stated just weeks before his death:

“This war must end, because it has consequences we have not yet understood — and remain unaware of.”

Despite months having passed since the incident, Haaretz added, the Israeli military censor continues to block the release of his identity.

A previous official report in the occupied territories showed a sharp increase in suicide attempts among Israeli soldiers over the past 18 months — an unprecedented indicator of a growing mental health crisis within the Israeli military establishment.

The report, issued by the Knesset’s Research and Information Center at the request of Knesset member Ofer Cassif, documented 279 suicide attempts between January 2024 and July 2025, alongside seven attempted suicides for every actual suicide during this period.

The findings also point to a significant rise in suicides among reserve soldiers since 2023.

An official from Israel’s Ministry of War stated that this surge must be viewed in light of the increased number of reservists mobilized since the beginning of the Gaza war.

According to the report, the Israeli army is witnessing an alarming escalation in suicide rates among its troops. Between 2017 and 2022, annual suicides ranged between 42 and 45. The number dropped by 17% in 2023, but in 2024 it surged again — rising by 78%, marking one of the highest jumps in recent years.