The newspaper explained that 35 of these soldiers committed suicide by the end of 2024, while seven others committed suicide since the beginning of 2025. It also noted that the Israeli army refuses to disclose the number of suicides recorded this year, in addition to refraining from holding military funerals for some soldiers who committed suicide or announcing their deaths, reflecting a secrecy surrounding the magnitude of the crisis.
In another report, the newspaper revealed that the Israeli army is recruiting individuals suffering from mental illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder into the reserve ranks to compensate for the shortage of soldiers as the war continues for more than 19 months. The newspaper confirmed that the army is suffering from a severe shortage of soldiers, which has prompted it to call up individuals suffering from psychological injuries, despite military commanders' knowledge and disregard for the situation.
The newspaper also revealed that more than 17,000 soldiers are receiving treatment in the Ministry of Defense's rehabilitation department, 9,000 of whom suffer from mental illnesses related to the war. The newspaper added that some soldiers recently conscripted into combat units in the Gaza Strip suffer from psychological disorders, and none of them were consulted by mental health specialists before being called up for service.
On the other hand, the newspaper quoted some soldiers who were recently recruited into the reserve ranks as saying that they were not asked about their psychological state. They indicated that they were recruited through advertisements posted on social media due to a severe shortage of soldiers.
In a related context, Haaretz reported that the Israeli army began sending conscription orders to tens of thousands of reserve soldiers in May 2025 in preparation for expanding the scope of fighting in Gaza. Israel has continued its blockade of Gaza for 18 years, displacing approximately 1.5 million Palestinians out of a total population of 2.4 million in the Strip, due to the destruction of their homes due to the ongoing war.
Israel has been blockading Gaza for 18 years, leaving approximately 1.5 million Palestinians out of a population of 2.4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed in the war of extermination. The Strip is suffering from a severe famine due to Tel Aviv's closure of the crossings to humanitarian aid.
In early March, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel concluded. The agreement, brokered by Egypt and Qatar and supported by the United States, went into effect on January 19, 2025, and the Palestinian movement adhered to it.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by international justice, evaded the start of the second phase and resumed the genocide in Gaza on March 18, responding to the demands of the most extreme faction within his right-wing government to advance his own political interests, according to Hebrew media.
With full American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving approximately 174,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.
