Israel’s war on Gaza has left over 20,000 soldiers injured with more than half suffering from mental health conditions.
More than 20,000 occupying Israeli soldiers have been injured since the start of its war on Gaza in October 2023, the Defence Ministry confirmed on Sunday. Over half of those wounded have developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or related conditions, underlining the psychological toll of their genocidal war.
According to the ministry’s Rehabilitation Department, 56% of the injured are struggling with mental health disorders. Around 45% of cases involve physical injuries while 20% of soldiers are dealing with both physical and psychological trauma.
The ministry reported that 99 soldiers required prosthetics following amputations, 16 were paralysed, and 56 classified with disabilities exceeding 100%. 24 soldiers have been listed as fully disabled.
Nearly two-thirds of the 20,000 cases were reservists, with about 1,000 new wounded being treated every month. This is in addition to hundreds of requests from veterans of previous wars.
The Defence Ministry said Israel’s rehabilitation system is now treating over 81,000 veterans, of whom 31,000 (nearly 40%) are coping with psychological trauma. By 2028, that number is expected to rise to nearly 100,000, with at least half projected to suffer from PTSD and other disorders.
Gaza’s death and starvation
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The same conflict continues to devastate Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 64,803 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, most of them women and children. More than 164,260 have been injured, while many bodies remain trapped under rubble or in areas unreachable by rescuers.
In addition, at least 2,484 Palestinians have been killed while seeking humanitarian aid since May, as Israeli fire has repeatedly targeted desperate crowds at distribution points. Over 18,117 others have been injured in such incidents.
The Health Ministry further reported that 420 people, including 145 children, have died of starvation since the war began. Seven of those deaths occurred within just 24 hours before the latest update.
Since March 2, Israeli authorities have kept Gaza’s border crossings fully closed, deepening the crisis. Famine was confirmed in northern Gaza in mid-August, and is expected to spread southward into Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
Humanitarian catastrophe
The humanitarian situation inside Gaza has been described as catastrophic. The UN has reported that 86.5% of the territory is under displacement orders or militarised zones, with more than 1.9 million Palestinians displaced, some repeatedly up to ten times.
Over 360 UNRWA staff members have been killed, and most of Gaza’s schools and hospitals have ceased functioning due to bombardment, fuel shortages, and lack of medical supplies. According to UNRWA, almost 660,000 children in Gaza will miss another school year with the agency warning of a “lost generation.”
Malnutrition is worsening at an alarming rate, with UN data showing nearly one in three children in Gaza City are now acutely malnourished. Across the strip, 320,000 children under five are at risk of dying due to the lack of dietary diversity.
UNRWA’s Commissioner General stated: “A man-made famine is confirmed in Gaza Governorate and is expected to spread rapidly. This is the direct and predictable result of a siege; and of deliberately constraining principled humanitarian organisations – including UNRWA – in favour of a mechanism that militarises and weaponises food assistance. Gaza’s population must now choose between dying of starvation or being killed in a desperate attempt to find food.”
