Trankimazinos for Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza

"War has consequences," A few weeks ago, an officer in Benjamin Netanyahu's army said on Israeli public radio.The officer was talking about suicides. In 2025, the suicide rate among Israeli troops is particularly high: at least 18 so far. Official figures only include soldiers who killed themselves while actively fighting. Those who killed themselves while on duty are not counted. resting from the battlefield. "Most deaths by suicide [among soldiers] are a result of the complex reality created by the war," the officer said. The reality in Gaza is horrifying: civilians in the Strip live with the horror. The war in Gaza has consequences: above all, 65,000 Palestinians have died in the Strip.

"We are mentally ill and our friends are committing suicide," they shouted this week. A group of Israeli soldiers meeting with a parliamentary committee. While shouting, they displayed and threw boxes and boxes of psychiatric medications at the politicians: antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, even fentanyl. The soldiers' cries called for understanding from the politicians. Some called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The video has gone viral.

The opacity imposed by the Netanyahu government around its army works. Little is known about the soldiers fighting in Gaza: those in uniform are practically forbidden to speak to the press and are asked not to give details of what is happening in the Strip. The soldiers fighting in Gaza have been accused of indiscriminately attacking the civilian population. When asked about it, they repeat a mantra: They say they are trying to minimize the number of civilian casualties as much as possible. But numerous reports from international organizations with sources on the ground strongly contradict this premise. The United Nations says that a significant portion of the 65,000 bodies were children and women.

The Times of Israel explained a few days ago that the army is expanding its efforts to detect signs of mental health problems among troops. Last week, the Israeli Ministry of Defense reported that more than 10,000 soldiers have received psychological treatment, most for post-traumatic stress disorder. The 18 suicide deaths in 2025 represent a considerable increase. There were 21 deaths in all of 2024. What have Israeli soldiers seen? What do they think about what they saw?

Most say they think what the government wants them to say they think: "War is necessary to ensure Israel's future and security." It's easy to find verified videos on social media of soldiers showing pride in what they do in the Strip, justifying it. But it is also becoming common, after two years of war, to find dissenting voices. On September 2, nearly 400 reservists signed a joint letter to express their refusal to participate in the Gaza offensive: "We will not answer the call. It is time to reach a comprehensive and binding ceasefire agreement on the hostages." They consider it a "senseless" war, that the offensive to recover the hostages has already "failed," and that many soldiers are acting in an "unprofessional" manner.

But the "senseless" war continues and will continue. This Wednesday, the second day of the assault on Gaza City, the "senseless" war continued with normal: dozens of Palestinians dead, hospitals and homes bombed, mosques destroyed, hunger, tens of thousands of civilians fleeing without knowing where to go, information blackout. Benjamin Netanyahu calls for taking control of the city before October 7, the second anniversary. from the Hamas attack. The generals counter, saying they need months to achieve this. Defense Minister Israel Katz celebrates that "Gaza burns." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Jerusalem on Monday to reiterate his support for Tel Aviv.

How many Trankimazinos would be needed for Palestinian civilians surviving Israel's genocidal war? The question is meaningless: Israel also doesn't allow medicines into Gaza.