Tel aviv: An Israeli reservist was discovered dead, as reported by the army on Tuesday, in a situation highlighting a concerning rise in suicides among soldiers in recent months. Military police have initiated an investigation into the incident, which took place in central Israel.

According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli Channel 7 reported that the deceased reservist was found on Monday, with the case not yet determined as a suicide. However, the channel noted similarities with other recent incidents involving reserve soldiers who ended their lives. Earlier this month, a 46-year-old reserve soldier was found dead in Kiryat Malakhi, southern Israel, with a weapon nearby. In August, two separate incidents involved a soldier found dead at a southern military base and a 24-year-old reserve staff sergeant from Karmiel, who ended his life while off duty, possibly linked to his military service.

Haaretz previously reported an increase in soldier suicides during or after military service, contrasting with a prior decade-long decline before Israel's conflict with Gaza. In late July, the outlet noted that at least 16 active-duty soldiers had died by suicide since early 2026, with nine more, who served in the conflict, taking their lives off duty, totaling 25 suicides since the year's start.

The issue is compounded by a significant rise in psychological disorders among soldiers. In February, Israel's Defense Ministry's rehabilitation department recorded a jump in soldiers receiving psychological treatment from 11,000 to 31,000 over two years, now representing 38% of all treatment cases within the department.

Recent Israeli reports have linked this suicide increase to psychological trauma from Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since October 8, 2023, Israel's operations in Gaza have resulted in nearly 74,000 Palestinian deaths, over 174,000 injuries, and extensive infrastructure destruction, exacerbating the psychological toll on military personnel.

Source: Anadolu Agency