Tel Aviv [Israel], July 29 (HBTV): Israeli army reservist Ariel Meir Taman, who served in a unit responsible for identifying fallen soldiers during the war in Gaza, was found dead on Sunday night at his home in the southern city of Ofakim, in what the Israel Defence Forces suspects was suicide.

The incident marks the latest in a string of suicides among Israeli soldiers in recent weeks, raising concern among mental health experts.

The IDF confirmed Taman’s death on Monday and stated that an investigation had been launched by the Military Police’s Criminal Investigation Division. 'Upon its conclusion, the findings will be submitted for review by the Military Advocate General,' the army said in a statement. 'The IDF shares in the family's grief and will continue to support them.'

Taman, a reservist in the IDF’s Military Rabbinate, had been assigned to one of the army’s most psychologically demanding roles during the war—helping identify the remains of Israeli soldiers and civilians killed in combat and terror attacks. He served in the Investigation and Identification Unit and later in the Casualty Identification Unit under the Home Front Command. More recently, he was engaged in defending vulnerable communities near Israel’s southern border.

He is survived by his wife and four children.

Six IDF soldiers have now been confirmed to have died by suicide in July alone. According to partial data released earlier this year, 21 soldiers took their own lives in the first half of 2024—the highest number since 2011. Most were reservists who had served in the ongoing war. While the military maintains that the rise is not statistically significant relative to the total size of the armed forces, the trend has nevertheless triggered concern among mental health professionals and lawmakers.

Among the most recent cases was 19-year-old Dan Mandel Philipson, a lone soldier from Norway who immigrated to Israel through a volunteer programme. He died on July 20, five days after a suicide attempt during basic training with the IDF’s 202nd Paratroopers Brigade. Before joining his combat unit, Philipson had completed a preparatory course for new immigrants at an army base to help ease the transition into Israeli military life.

Although the IDF does not release real-time suicide data, annual reports and public statements point to a sharp rise since the war began following Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel. Tel Aviv University's National Centre for Traumatic Stress and Resilience reported in May that PTSD symptoms among Israeli soldiers had tripled since the start of the conflict.

Many soldiers—especially reservists returning to civilian life—have reported experiencing lasting trauma and insufficient mental health support.

Professor Yossi Levi-Belz, clinical psychologist and director of the Suicide and Mental Pain Research Centre at Ruppin Academic Centre, warned earlier this year that the most dangerous period may come after the fighting ceases. 'Extreme crises, like October 7, often lead to a temporary drop in suicides,' he said. 'But when society begins to stabilise, many—such as reservists—are left highly vulnerable because their difficulties persist. That’s why this period may be even more dangerous for suicide risk.'

In a letter sent this month to the head of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, nine Israeli lawmakers cited 38 suicides in the military since the beginning of 2023, including 21 this year. The letter warned of a 70 per cent increase in suicides over the past two months compared to the same period last year.

PTSD is not limited to soldiers. A study by Ben-Gurion University released in March found that nearly half of young Israelis exhibited symptoms of war-related trauma. The study highlighted that individuals aged 18–30 were particularly affected due to their high rates of military service, personal losses, and displacement from their homes.

At least 1,180 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, about 30 are believed to be dead.

(ANI/TPS)