According to the latest data released by the military on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces saw a slight increase in the number of casualties of 31 soldiers compared to the previous year as well as a slight increase in the number of suicides. ,
Suicide remained the leading cause of death in the military in 2021, with at least 11 soldiers believed to have taken their lives and two others whose deaths are currently designated as accidents but which could also be suicide, Brigadier . General Yoram Nafo, Chief of Staff of the IDF Manpower Directorate, told reporters.
Of the 11 soldiers suspected to have died by suicide, three were members of the Ethiopian community, a far higher number than expected based on their representation in the population. An Ethiopian was one of the two suspects who died by suicide.
Kannafo said the military was aware of the issue and was working to better address it while trying not to stigmatize the soldiers of the Ethiopian community.
Several studies in Israel have found a higher incidence of suicide among Ethiopian Israelis than in the general population. A health ministry report from 2020 found that Ethiopian immigrants were 4.1 times more likely to die by suicide than Israeli-born Jews.
The number of suicides in the IDF in 2021 increased compared to the previous year, when nine soldiers were suspected to have died by suicide, although Cannafo said that overall, the number of suicides in the military has remained stable at around 10 each year. last four years.
In the last one year, only one IDF jawan was martyred in the war. Omar Tabib was killed by an anti-tank guided missile on the Gaza border during May clashes with terrorist groups in the Strip.
Another soldier, Jonathan Granot, died after he was shot in the head by another soldier who allegedly fired a weapon at his base in violation of orders and is currently on trial for murder.
Ten soldiers died in car crashes during the holiday, and six soldiers died of illnesses in 2021, none of them from COVID-19, Knafo said. This included Colonel Sharon Asman, the commander of the Nahal Infantry Brigade, who collapsed and died After a run due to an unknown heart condition, he said.
Last year, no soldiers were killed in work or training accidents, Nafo said.
Two military-related deaths that were not specifically included in the 2021 figures were Barel Hadriya Shmueli, who was shot in the head by a Palestinian gunman during a riot on the Gaza border, and an intelligence officer who died under mysterious circumstances. He was killed in military prison. Awaiting trial for serious security offenses.
Samueli’s death was not included in the figures because he had served in the Border Police, and thus was outside the purview of the IDF, while the intelligence officer, whose name is barred from publication, may have been discharged from the IDF before his death. was granted, they were also excluded. Scope of IDF Statistics.
In 2021, the Army recorded a significant increase in the number of seriously injured soldiers, 67, as compared to the previous year’s 41. This was the largest number of seriously injured soldiers since 2014, when Israel fought the 51-day war. Gaza Strip including ground offensive.
According to Kannafo, 11 out of 67 soldiers were those who became seriously ill with the coronavirus.