The Israeli military's top personnel official made a sobering admission to lawmakers on Tuesday, acknowledging an uptick in soldier suicides while insisting the numbers don't constitute an epidemic. Lt. Col. Amir Vadmani testified before the Knesset Subcommittee on Manpower that 16 service members have taken their own lives since January, a pace that could surpass 2024's total of 21 cases.
The hearing, led by MK Elazar Stern, was prompted by what Stern described as "an unusual spike in suicides recently, particularly among soldiers returning from Gaza combat operations."
The session took on profound emotional weight when Neta, whose twin brother Staff Sergeant Assaf Dagan died by suicide, delivered tearful testimony about systemic failures she believes cost her sibling his life.
"I'm here to discuss those who never ask for help," Neta told the committee. "Assaf repeatedly requested meetings with mental health officers. Our mother contacted his commanders when she recognized post-traumatic symptoms. While they showed empathy, they lacked professional understanding – failing to recognize they faced a wounded soldier, psychologically injured."
The family's warnings escalated dramatically in Assaf's final month. "My mother explicitly warned a senior Air Force commander that Assaf would commit suicide," Neta revealed. "His commanders knew about his struggles, but military coordination broke down completely. His support network understood and reported concerns, yet the system failed him."
Her plea resonated throughout the chamber as she demanded institutional change. "I'm asking the system to actively identify those who don't seek help and dedicate every resource to treatment. Consciousness shifts and institutional recognition save lives. Suicide isn't predetermined fate – we can change outcomes. They served us, now we must serve them."
Lt. Col. Vadmani responded by acknowledging accessibility problems with existing support infrastructure. "Recent cases teach us that soldiers seeking treatment can't adequately reach our support centers," he admitted. Recognizing that upcoming holidays present heightened risks, military officials plan a comprehensive outreach campaign featuring anonymous contact options.
The IDF maintains these statistics require annual analysis rather than monthly scrutiny, despite the troubling recent sequence of soldier deaths. Military spokespeople have consistently declined media requests for interim data, citing policies restricting disclosure to year-end reports.
Brig. Gen. Dr. Carmel Kela, who heads the Medical Corps' Clinical Branch, outlined expanded therapeutic capabilities implemented during wartime operations. "Unique combat challenges prompted therapeutic expansion both before and during current operations, including new specialized centers and branches," she explained.
The military established round-the-clock support hotlines while expanding the Combat Response Unit serving reserve personnel between active deployments. "Our unit employs dozens of therapists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors providing psychiatric care, group therapy, and recognition process support," Kela detailed.
Treatment accessibility has improved significantly, with waiting periods reduced to one or two weeks. New resilience programs target regular service members experiencing post-traumatic symptoms, while permanent treatment centers received substantial expansion. Mental health officer deployment increased dramatically across all IDF units, with personnel entering combat zones including Gaza when necessary.
The testimony follows last week's suicide of reserve combat medic Roei Wasserstein, prompting immediate leadership response. Personnel Directorate head Maj. Gen. Dudu Bar Kalifa, coordinating with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, ordered creation of a specialized committee examining support systems for discharged soldiers and inactive reservists.
Wasserstein, 24, from Netanya, served over 300 reserve days with the 401st Armored Brigade's medical evacuation team, experiencing traumatic casualty recovery operations throughout Gaza combat zones before ending his life this week.
