TEL AVIV (Dispatches) -- Two female 
Israeli soldiers have died by suicide this week, bringing the number of active-duty soldiers who have taken their own lives since the beginning of 2026 to 16, a report says.
The report published by Haaretz said one of the soldiers served in the Bardelas battalion along the Egypt-Palestine border and died by suicide at a military base in the southern Israeli occupied territories. The newspaper said she was found injured at the base and taken to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
In another report, the daily said the second soldier, who served in a classified position within the Israeli military, died by suicide on Sunday at the Glilot military base in the central Israeli occupied territories.
Data compiled by Haaretz showed that at least nine additional regular and reserve personnel who participated in the Gaza genocide also took their own lives after completing active service since the beginning of 2026.
The latest deaths continue an upward trend in military suicides that began after the genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023, according to figures cited in the report. 
Military data cited by the newspaper showed that seven active-duty soldiers died by suicide between October 7 and the end of 2023, while the annual figure increased to 21 in 2024 and climbed further to 22 in 2025, the highest number recorded by the Israeli army in the past 15 years.
This sustained rise in suicide rates among active-duty personnel has drawn increasing concern from mental health advocates and military observers alike. 
The figures reflect not just isolated incidents but a deepening crisis within the Israeli military’s ranks, one that has been exacerbated by continuous combat operations and the prolonged nature of the conflict in Gaza. 
The psychological toll of the war has proven to be severe and persistent, affecting soldiers across all branches and roles, from frontline combat units to support and administrative personnel.
Israel’s terrorist war ministry has also reported a sharp increase in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases among military personnel since the Gaza genocide began. 
The mental health of many soldiers who committed suicide had deteriorated following prolonged mistreatment by the military system, raising further questions about the Israeli army’s handling of personnel struggling with the psychological consequences of the Gaza genocide, the report highlighted.
Israeli critics have pointed to a systemic failure in addressing the mental health needs of soldiers, citing inadequate access to psychological care, stigma surrounding seeking help, and a high-pressure command culture that discourages soldiers from expressing vulnerability. 
The military has been accused of prioritizing operational readiness over the well-being of its troops, with insufficient resources allocated to preventative mental health programs and post-deployment support.
Neither the Israeli military nor any other Israeli regime institution has released annual figures for discharged soldiers and former reservists who died by suicide after leaving active service.