The Hidden Toll of War Israeli Soldiers Seek Help Amid Gaza Conflict
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has taken a profound toll on the mental health of Israeli soldiers. Many soldiers are seeking psychiatric treatment to cope with the trauma and stress caused by the genocide in Gaza, according to the CNN report.
“A lot of us are very scared of getting drafted again to a war in Lebanon,” a member of the Israeli army medical staff confessed to CNN. “A lot of us don’t trust the government right now.”
Eliran Mizrahi, an Israeli soldier, reportedly committed suicide due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He operated a heavily armored D-9 bulldozer in Gaza for 186 days.
His family confirmed that development, recalling his days living with a trauma that led to depression.
“He got out of Gaza, but Gaza did not get out of him. And he died after it, because of the post-trauma,” his mother Jenny Mizrahi said.
“They [government] didn’t know how to treat them (soldiers).
“They (soldiers) said the war was so different. They saw things that were never seen in Israel.”
His friend and fellow bulldozer driver, Guy Zaken, also made similar comments and shared similar sentiments with Mizrahi’s mother.
Zaken’s experiences have left him struggling to cope, admitting he can no longer eat meat due to the gruesome scenes etched in his memory.
It should be noted here that about 42,000 Palestinians have been martyred in the ongoing war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
