Defense Ministry: 9,250 wounded in nine months of fighting

Some 9,250 soldiers have been wounded since the start of the Gaza war nine months ago, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Seventy percent of the wounded are reservists, while 30% are either mandatory conscripts or career officers. About half of those injured are under the age of 30.

Approximately 35% complain of emotional harm, often post-traumatic stress disorder.

The ministry predicts the wounded will rise to 14,000 by the end of 2024.

In April, the ministry said 7,209 soldiers had been wounded, with 2,111 of them afflicted by emotional suffering.

While the 2,111 figure represents about 29% of all wounded soldiers, for 1,227, or 60%, of those with emotional harm, the emotional problems are the primary problem.

Before the war, the Defense Ministry had accounted for 62,000 war-wounded soldiers in all prior conflicts, of whom 18% – or 11,000 – suffered emotional distress.

Of those 11,000, around 8,000 or 70% experienced emotional symptoms as their primary problem.

What diagnosis can be found among survivors?

While PTSD is the main diagnosis for those with emotional problems, ministry officials emphasized that they recognize and assist with a variety of emotional disorders.

At the time, the ministry predicted around 20,000 additional soldiers would be harmed for the year.

Given the current predictions, that current number appears to be overly pessimistic and has been reduced by 6,000, either because there has been less fighting since April or IDF measures in protecting soldiers have improved.