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Israel must overhaul trauma care for 50,000 former IDF soldiers, defense committee urges

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • A government committee recommended radical changes to how Israel handles trauma cases for 50,000 former IDF soldiers.
  • The committee urged the creation of an independent authority with its own budget and resources to speed up treatment and benefits.
  • Recommendations include increased funding and faster legal actions, as emotional trauma now accounts for 50% of claims since the ongoing wars began.

A government committee has issued its first report recommending sweeping changes to how Israel addresses the emotional trauma of approximately 50,000 former IDF soldiers. Headed by Professor Shlomo Mor Yosef, the committee presented its findings to the Defense and Finance Ministries on Sunday, emphasizing the urgent need to overhaul current systems.

Mor Yosef stated that the committee, which began its work in November 2025, should have been established much earlier to cope with the rising numbers of soldiers suffering from physical wounds and emotional trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stemming from conflicts since October 2023. The timeline for the number of wounded soldiers to surpass 100,000 has been moved up to 2028, underscoring the escalating crisis.

such a committee should have been established at least a year earlier to deal with the skyrocketing numbers of physically wounded and emotionally traumatized, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases from the ongoing wars since October 2023.

— Shlomo Mor YosefProfessor Shlomo Mor Yosef explaining the urgency for the committee's recommendations.

While acknowledging some improvements made by the ministry since October 7 to streamline benefits and treatment, the committee deemed them insufficient. It proposed establishing a new, largely independent authority dedicated to handling trauma cases. This authority would possess its own budget, IT services, resources, and the power to act swiftly, bypassing the current ministry's complex structure with its numerous subdivisions.

The committee estimates that an additional NIS 2 billion annually is required, along with a one-time investment of over NIS 500 million to set up the new authority. Recognizing the potential delays due to upcoming elections, Mor Yosef advised the government to implement changes through emergency regulations. The report highlights a significant shift, with emotional trauma claims now comprising 50% of those filed since 2023, a stark contrast to the 15% seen in previous wars. The committee also recommended increasing the frequency of therapy sessions to weekly, from the current once every two to three weeks.

the ministry, with around 25 subdivisions, cannot be counted on to move fast enough in handling the issue.

— Shlomo Mor YosefProfessor Shlomo Mor Yosef explaining the need for an independent authority.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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