Israeli Soldier Suffering from Severe Trauma Linked to Gaza War Jailed in Military Prison

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Israeli soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was sentenced to 42 days in military prison, The Jerusalem Post reported. The sentence was made despite mental health experts warning that the soldier's mental health will deteriorate as a result of being imprisoned.

According to KAN's report on Monday, the soldier was discharged from the military due to psychological issues stemming from his deployment to Gaza during Israel's onslaught on the enclave.

The soldier was tasked with recovering the bodies of soldiers killed in crossfire and was exposed to traumatic scenes.

The soldier lost control during a meeting with a mental health officer and threw a chair, which struck the officer, a behavior deemed unusual for the soldier.

Despite his worsening condition and repeated appeals from the Military Public Defender's Office, the soldier remains sentenced.

According to the Chief Military Public Defender, Colonel Ofira Elkabets-Rothstein, the soldier should not have been punished. "The soldier feels deep remorse and shame. He understands the gravity of his actions, but they were carried out involuntarily due to his mental health crisis,” she said. “Given the circumstances, it would have been more appropriate to direct him toward rehabilitation rather than incarceration.”

Elkabets-Rothstein stated that many Israeli soldiers have experienced trauma after returning from Gaza. "We’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Mental health injuries among combat  troops require a fundamentally different legal and therapeutic approach," she said.

As cited from France24, dozens of Israeli soldiers have committed suicide since the start of the Gaza war, marking the highest casualty number in 13 years and raising concerns about the potential mental health crisis among the soldiers.

The Israeli military, or IDF, notes that suicide rates have risen in the past two years. In 2024, there were 21 suicide cases, an increase from 17 cases in 2023. In 2022, the number of suicide cases reached 14 and 11 cases in 2021. IDF also reported that thousands of reserve soldiers have stopped serving in combat duties due to mental pressure.

Disclaimer. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, please reach out to the nearest health institution and/or relevant authorities. The International Association for Suicide Prevention offers an exhaustive list of global helplines to assist you in times of crisis at https://www.iasp.info/crisis-centres-helplines/. 

If you’re in Indonesia, you can call Pulih Foundation at (021) 78842580, the Health Ministry's Mental Health hotline at (021) 500454, and the Jangan Bunuh Diri NGO hotline at (021) 9696 9293 for mental crisis assistance and/or suicide prevention measures. Into the Light Indonesia also has information about mental health and suicide prevention, as well as who to contact at https://www.intothelightid.org/tentang-bunuh-diri/hotline-dan-konseling/

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