The IDF announced Thursday that 891 soldiers have been killed since the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, marking one of the deadliest conflicts in Israel’s history. The toll includes deaths from combat, accidents and suspected suicides and is the largest since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Of the 891 fatalities, 528 occurred in 2023, with 512 attributed to operational activity. Most deaths happened around October 7, when 329 soldiers were killed, including local rapid-response teams. Another 226 deaths were recorded in 2024.
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Funeral of Captain Roy Beit Yaakov who fell in battle in northern Gaza
(Photo: Shalev Shalom)
Suicide cases have also surged, with 17 suspected cases in 2023—seven conscripts, four career soldiers and six reservists—compared to 14 in 2022. In 2024, suicides increased to 21 cases, including seven conscripts, two career soldiers and 12 reservists, all men.
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Accidental deaths also rose during the war. Nine soldiers died in traffic accidents in 2023, including five on duty and four in civilian incidents. By 2024, 20 more soldiers were killed in traffic accidents, 17 in civilian settings. Operational accidents claimed 65 lives, 60 in Gaza and five in Lebanon, involving incidents such as friendly fire and weapon mishandling.
To address the mental health crisis, the IDF has recruited 800 mental health officers, established a new mental health center with clinics nationwide, and expanded psychological support for soldiers, especially combat units. However, challenges remain, particularly in assessing the mental and physical readiness of older reservists, many aged 40-60, returning after years away from service.
"The strain of war has created unprecedented burdens on soldiers, levels we haven’t seen in decades," an IDF official said, adding that the military expects a long-term rise in mental health challenges as the war ends and combatants transition back to civilian life.
The war's toll far surpasses the decade before it, which saw 152 fatalities, including those during the 2014 Gaza war.