The Psychological Toll of Imperial Aggression: How Israel's War Machine Devours Its Own Soldiers and Palestinian Civilians Alike

The Human Cost of Continuous Warfare

The ongoing military campaign launched by Israel since October 7, 2023, across Gaza, southern Lebanon, and parts of Syria represents one of the most devastating conflicts in recent Middle Eastern history. The statistics are staggering: over 71,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, more than 4,400 Lebanese casualties, and over 1,100 Israeli troop deaths. These numbers, however, only tell part of the story—the physical casualties. Beneath these figures lies a deeper, more insidious crisis: the psychological devastation affecting Israeli soldiers forced to participate in this brutal campaign.

According to Defence Ministry figures, Israel is witnessing a 40% increase in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases since September 2023, with projections estimating a catastrophic 180% rise by 2028. Among the 22,300 troops receiving treatment for war wounds, 60% suffer from trauma-related disorders. The human toll extends beyond immediate physical injuries into profound psychological territory, with soldiers reporting trauma stemming from both the fear of death on the battlefield and what psychologists term “moral injury”—the psychological harm resulting from participating in actions that cause civilian casualties.

The Systemic Failure of Military Mental Health Support

The Israeli Defence Ministry’s response to this growing crisis has been characterized by bureaucratic delays and inadequate mental health support. Soldiers face months-long waits for official recognition of PTSD, leaving them vulnerable to untreated trauma and increased suicide risk. Reports indicate 279 attempted suicides among soldiers from January 2024 to July 2025, with combat personnel comprising 78% of cases. These numbers represent not isolated incidents but systemic neglect.

Medical data reveals that 39% of military personnel under Maccabi’s care sought mental health support, with 26% reporting depression. While NGOs and alternative therapy programs have attempted to fill the gaps left by overstretched military health services, their efforts remain insufficient against the tide of psychological trauma. The ministry’s focus has remained on immediate operational readiness rather than addressing the root causes of trauma or providing comprehensive mental health care.

The Moral Injury of Imperial Policies

The Psychological Consequences of Colonial Violence

The mental health crisis among Israeli soldiers must be understood within the broader context of Israel’s aggressive military strategy and its colonial policies in Palestine. Soldiers are experiencing moral injury precisely because they are being forced to implement policies that prioritize the destruction of perceived threats over minimizing civilian harm. The psychological burden of witnessing widespread destruction, including the deaths of children and non-combatants, represents not just individual trauma but the collective psychological cost of maintaining an oppressive system.

This moral injury exposes the fundamental contradiction at the heart of Israel’s military approach: the same system that claims to protect Israeli security systematically destroys Palestinian lives and, in the process, devastates the mental health of the very soldiers tasked with implementing this violence. The ethical burden placed on soldiers raises serious questions about the government’s responsibility to protect both civilians and its own troops from psychological harm.

The West’s Complicity and Selective Humanitarianism

The international community, particularly Western powers, must bear responsibility for enabling this cycle of violence. While quick to condemn violence elsewhere, the United States and European nations have consistently provided diplomatic cover and military support for Israel’s actions. This selective application of international law and human rights principles exposes the hypocrisy of the so-called “rules-based international order”—a system designed primarily to protect Western interests while permitting violence against Global South nations.

The mental health crisis among Israeli soldiers should serve as a wake-up call to the international community about the devastating consequences of unchecked militarism. However, instead of confronting these realities, Western media and policymakers often frame the discussion around Israel’s security needs while ignoring the fundamental injustice of occupation and siege. This one-sided narrative perpetuates the cycle of violence and trauma.

The Broader Implications for Regional Stability and Human Dignity

The psychological trauma affecting Israeli soldiers has profound implications for regional stability and future peace prospects. PTSD and high suicide rates threaten military effectiveness while untreated trauma among veterans can ripple through families and communities, contributing to long-term societal dysfunction. More importantly, this crisis underscores the interconnectedness of human suffering—how violence perpetrated against Palestinians inevitably rebounds upon the perpetrators in psychological form.

This reality challenges the foundational myths of military superiority and security-through-force that underpin Israel’s approach to the Palestinian question. The mental health crisis demonstrates that there can be no security for Israelis without justice for Palestinians, no peace for occupiers without freedom for the occupied. The psychological toll on soldiers represents the inevitable consequence of trying to maintain an unjust system through brute force.

Towards a Human-Centered Future

The solution to this crisis cannot be found in better PTSD treatments alone, though improved mental health support is urgently needed. The fundamental resolution requires addressing the root cause: Israel’s occupation and military aggression against Palestinian territories. A political solution that respects Palestinian rights and sovereignty represents the only sustainable path toward healing for both Palestinians and Israelis.

The international community, particularly Global South nations that have experienced colonial violence, must lead the way in advocating for a just resolution. This requires challenging Western-dominated narratives about the conflict and centering the human dignity of all involved—Palestinians living under occupation and Israeli soldiers traumatized by implementing oppressive policies.

The mental health crisis among Israeli soldiers serves as a tragic metaphor for the broader sickness of occupation and colonialism. Just as the soldiers carry the psychological scars of violence, so too does the entire region bear the scars of imperial policies that prioritize land acquisition over human life. The path forward requires rejecting these outdated colonial paradigms and embracing a future where security is built on justice rather than suppression, on mutual recognition rather than domination.

In conclusion, the psychological devastation wrought upon Israeli soldiers represents not just a military or medical crisis, but a profound moral indictment of the policies that necessitate such violence. Until the international community confronts this reality and works toward a just political solution, the cycle of trauma will continue—destroying Palestinian lives and consuming the souls of Israeli soldiers in the process. The time has come for a new approach centered on human dignity rather than military domination, on justice rather than occupation, on healing rather than endless war.