Israel Defense Forces reservists and former conscripts who died by suicide linked to psychological trauma caused by military service will not be automatically recognized as fallen soldiers, although the military will review each case individually and increase the support it provides to their families in the aftermath, it was announced on Tuesday.

The decision was announced as part of a set of new guidelines drawn up by a committee tasked with examining the IDF’s response to these suicides, aimed at improving support for the affected families.

The committee, established in August following the suicide of reservist Roi Wasserstein, includes mental health professionals, legal advisers and casualty officers. Its findings were presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who thanked its members on Tuesday for their work and instructed the IDF to implement the recommendations promptly.

Led by former Personnel Directorate head Maj. Gen. (res.) Moti Almoz, the committee focused on addressing the challenges veterans face when dealing with delayed psychological effects from their service.

It found that 15 civilians have died by suicide linked to their military service since the onset of the war triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, the IDF said.

These cases will now be evaluated by the Defense Ministry, using an established set of criteria, to determine if they should be recognized as soldiers who died as a result of their military service.

The IDF noted that the committee did not speak with all 15 families during the investigation, as the issue requires more specific oversight.

According to the IDF, the committee acknowledged that the emotional trauma soldiers experience on the battlefield can lead to long-term psychological issues, sometimes resulting in suicide. However, the committee pointed out that the current law only recognizes those who die during active duty, meaning that the suicide victims could not legally be considered fallen soldiers.

It raised the question, therefore, of how to address suicides........

© The Times of Israel