Israeli army conceals data about thousands of soldiers discharged over psychological trauma during Gaza war

The Israeli army is concealing information about the dismissal of thousands of soldiers from service during the Gaza war due to psychological disorders, Haaretz daily reported on Wednesday.

The army “does not provide all the data regarding the number of soldiers discharged during the war because of their mental condition,” the newspaper commented.

Haaretz said it requested the full data from the army spokesperson in 2025, but the request was rejected on the grounds that it had to be submitted under Israel’s Freedom of Information Law.

The request for full data was formally filed in early June 2025, but the military has yet to respond.

According to the daily, the delay violates the law, which requires authorities to respond to requests within 30 days, with extensions of up to 120 days allowed only under special circumstances.

Haaretz said about a month after the request was submitted, the army said it had received a 30-day extension to respond, but still did not release the data yet.

Citing unnamed officers who served in the military’s personnel directorate and the spokesperson’s office, Haaretz said the army tends to delay releasing data that “does not satisfy commanders or serve its objectives.”

A reserve officer in the personnel directorate said there are officers “who know how to manipulate figures and percentages and conceal information that does not satisfy the army.”

“If the army spokesperson needs information to refute a journalistic or political claim, they make every effort to obtain it within hours,” the officer said.

“It is clear the army does not want the public to know the extent of the psychological pressure soldiers are experiencing,” he added.

According to the newspaper, sources in the army’s mental health department believe the military has reasons to avoid publishing data on the phenomenon because of its scale, fearing it could damage public morale.

Haaretz said the Israeli army has been dealing since the start of the war with an unprecedented number of soldiers suffering psychological disorders.

“In the early days, the army and Defense Ministry had to handle an unprecedented number of cases involving soldiers suffering severe psychological stress,” the paper said.

It added that many soldiers involved in combat during the siege of Gaza reported serious mental distress and said they were unable to return to fighting.

According to the daily, the army significantly increased the number of mental health officers, established specialized treatment centers, and kept rising suicide figures out of official publications until the end of 2024.

Haaretz noted that last July, following inquiries from the newspaper and a petition filed by the Hatzlacha association, the army agreed to release data covering the first year of the war.

According to the figures, 7,241 officers and soldiers were discharged during that period because of psychological conditions.

Sources in the army’s personnel directorate told the newspaper that the number was believed to be the highest ever recorded in the military’s history.

However, some officers reportedly said the figure was lower than the actual number, while the army officially denied possessing complete data on the phenomenon.

The report added that thousands of conscript soldiers were reassigned during the war to support or rear-line roles due to psychological stress or severe exhaustion.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians and injuring over 172,000, most of them women and children.

Despite a ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since last Oct. 10, Israel has continued deadly attacks and a blockade on Gaza, killing 837 Palestinians and injuring 2,381 others, most of them women and children, in addition to causing widespread destruction.