American-born former IDF soldier dies at 23 of apparent suicide amid rising military suicides

Alex Miller, a 23-year-old American-born former soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, has died by apparent suicide in Miami, according to Israeli media reports. Miller, who served in the Kfir Brigade, was moderately wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank in October 2022. After undergoing rehabilitation, he returned to military service.

Despite receiving recognition for his physical wounds, Miller's request for recognition of mental trauma sustained in the attack was not granted, according to a spokesperson for Israel's defense ministry. His father, Danny Miller, noted that while they discussed the attack, he believes the incident and the subsequent death of Miller's close friend, Noam Shemesh, in Gaza in June 2025, ultimately broke him.

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I don’t get it. I have invested my entire life in raising and nurturing him. We had a lot of conversations about the attack, but apparently, the attack and Noam’s death broke him. Even though he didn’t admit it, he suffered a lot.

Miller's death highlights growing concerns over the mental health impact of Israel's ongoing conflicts. In 2025, the IDF recorded 22 active-duty soldier suicides, the highest number since 2010. Between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 active soldiers attempted suicide, according to a report by the Knesset Research and Information Center. The Katzrin Regional Council in the Golan Heights, where his father resides, stated that "the invisible trauma that he quietly carried with him... eventually defeated the young warrior."

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The invisible trauma that he quietly carried with him, without letting others know of its volume, eventually defeated the young warrior who had his whole life ahead of him.