An Israeli soldier who fought in Gaza died by suicide after suffering what were described as “horrific traumas,” bringing the number of soldier suicides in July alone to seven.
اضافة اعلان
According to Israeli Army Radio on Thursday, “Roi Vasserstein, a reservist in the 401st Armored Brigade, took his own life on Wednesday after being deeply traumatized during his service.”
The report stated that “the army will not recognize him as killed in service,” and he will receive a civilian funeral, as he was not on active duty at the time of his death.
Roi, 24, had served in the medical evacuation unit of the 401st Brigade for over 300 days during the ongoing war, the radio added.
He was reportedly exposed to extremely distressing experiences, including evacuating wounded and dead soldiers from the battlefield, and completed his last reserve duty at the end of May.
“His family and those close to him say that in recent months, he had shared his painful experiences and spoke of the horrors and traumatic scenes he witnessed, until he decided to end his life,” the report said.
According to the Hebrew daily Haaretz, Roi’s death raises the total number of Israeli soldier suicides in July to seven.
On Monday, the Israeli army announced that Ariel Taman, a reservist whose job involved identifying the bodies of dead soldiers, also died by suicide at his home in the settlement of Ofakim, southern Israel.
Haaretz also reported on Wednesday that the number of suicides among Israeli soldiers has risen significantly since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
According to the data:
17 soldiers died by suicide in 2023
24 soldiers in 2024
18 so far in 2025 (including Roi)
The newspaper attributed the increase in suicides to a severe shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health professionals in Israel.
