Israeli veteran calls for urgent action amid rise in soldier suicides post war
\n Gaza
\nAt least 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza since dawn, including seven people reportedly seeking aid, according to medical sources on Friday.
\nTwo of the victims were killed in the al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah in southern Gaza, hospital officials said.
\nThe United Nations reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire, warning that children in Gaza are running out of time.
\n\u201cIn Gaza, time is running out for children caught up in the horrors of war,\u201d the UN said in a statement on X. \u201cHow much longer until a ceasefire is reached so that bombs stop falling on emaciated and dying children?\u201d
\nIsraeli forces are using drone-fired missiles packed with nails, causing horrific injuries, reports Al Jazeera\u2019s Gaza City correspondent Hani Mahmoud.
\n\u201cDoctors say they are doing everything possible to save the lives of many of the children who were transferred to hospital today after they sustained severe burns and injuries from flying shrapnel,\u201d Mahmoud said.
\n\u201cThese drone missiles are packed with nails, and when they explode pieces of metal fly at a very high speed \u2014 piercing bodies, causing internal injuries that leads to severe bleeding that causes the majority of deaths from those attacked by drone missiles.\u201d
\n\u201cThese attacks are happening despite all the claims by the Israel military that prides itself of using sophisticated, advanced weapons,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cBut when we look at what\u2019s happening on the ground, and we see the number of casualties and the kind of targets being hit, it contradicts what the Israeli military is marketing.\u201d
\nRising suicides among Israeli war returnees
\nAn Israeli combat veteran has sounded the alarm over what he describes as a mental health crisis among soldiers returning from combat in Gaza, citing a recent spike in suicides.
\nSpeaking to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Tzachi Atedagi, an advocate for the mental health of soldiers, said 10 soldiers had taken their own lives in less than two weeks.
\n\u201cWe are crying out. Enough is enough,\u201d Atedagi told Kan Network B\u2019s This Morning programme.
\nHe said returning combat veterans are struggling to access timely care due to overwhelming bureaucracy.
\n\u201cSometimes, a combat veteran doesn\u2019t have 24 hours to wait,\u201d he added, referring to recent suicides by soldiers waiting for mental health support.
\nSuicides since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023 \u2014 the highest number in over a decade. Since then, multiple additional cases have emerged. However, an updated official figure is not expected until the end of the year.
\nEarlier this week, The Times of Israel reported that a soldier was seriously wounded in an apparent suicide attempt while undergoing training in southern Israel.
\nChurch shelling sparks international backlash
\nMeanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted a military shell struck the Holy Family Church \u2014 Gaza\u2019s only Catholic place of worship \u2014 calling it a \u201cstray\u201d round and expressing regret over civilian casualties. \u201cEvery innocent life lost is a tragedy,\u201d said Netanyahu in a statement, adding that Israel remains \u201ccommitted to protecting civilians and holy sites.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Israeli veteran calls for urgent action amid rise in soldier suicides post war Gaza At least 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza since dawn, including seven people reportedly seeking aid, according to medical sources on Friday. Two of the victims were killed in the al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah in southern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":491195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-491173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n