Amid spike in Army suicides, Israeli soldier who identified fallen found dead

Tel Aviv [Israel], July 28 (ANI/TPS): 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 is the latest in a series of soldier suicides in recent weeks that are worrying mental health experts.

The IDF confirmed Taman's death on Monday and said an investigation had been opened 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."

A reservist in the IDF's Military Rabbinate, Taman had been assigned during the war to one of the army's most psychologically demanding roles 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 took part in defending vulnerable communities near Israel's southern border.

He is survived by his wife and four children.

Six IDF soldiers are now confirmed to have died by suicide this month 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 current war. While the military says the increase is not considered statistically significant relative to the overall size of Israel's armed forces, it has nonetheless raised alarm among mental health professionals and lawmakers.

One of the most recent cases was 19-year-old Dan Mandel Philipson, a lone soldier from Norway who immigrated to Israel under a volunteer program. 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 completed a preparatory course for new immigrants at an army base aimed at easing the transition into Israeli military life.

Although the IDF does not publish real-time data on suicide cases, its annual reports and public statements suggest a sharp rise since the beginning of the war, which broke out following Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel. Tel Aviv University's National Centre for Traumatic Stress and Resilience reported in May that PTSD symptoms have tripled among Israeli soldiers since the war broke out.

Many soldiers especially reservists who returned to civilian life have reported struggling with lingering trauma and a lack of adequate mental health support.

Professor Yossi Levi-Belz, a 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 be after the fighting subsides. "Extreme crises, like October 7, often lead to a temporary drop in suicides," he said. "But when society begins to stabilise, manysuch as reservistsare left highly vulnerable because their difficulties persist. That's why this period may be even more dangerous for suicide risk."

A letter sent this month by nine Israeli lawmakers to the head of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee cited 38 suicides in the army since the start of 2023, including 21 this year. The letter also 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 Ben-Gurion University study released in March found that nearly half of young Israelis showed symptoms of war-related trauma. That research revealed that individuals ages 18-30 were particularly affected due to their high rate 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, around 30 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS)

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