Israeli Defense Ministry releases report on casualties from Swords of Iron War

Ahead of the 3-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli Defense Ministry released a report this week detailing the casualties among security personnel and the impact of the war on their families.

According to the report, 1,318 members of security have lost their lives, including IDF soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet agents, firefighters, prison wardens and civilian security officers. The overwhelming majority fell in battle in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, or Lebanon, while others died in accidents while on duty or from illnesses or suicide.

The report added that 7,150 family members have been added to Israel’s circle of bereavement, including 2,143 parents, 355 widows, 880 children and 3,772 siblings.

An addendum to the Defense Ministry report, published by the National Insurance Institute (NII), provided additional statistics on civilian casualties since the war began.

According to NII data, 778 civilians were murdered on Oct. 7, while another 251 have lost their lives since then. These numbers include 63 children under 18.

In addition, 87,286 victims of hostile acts have been added to the number of people with a case file at the NII over the last three years. Most of these were impacted by violence on Oct. 7, while others were wounded by terrorist attacks and incoming rockets and missiles fired by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, Shi’ite militias in Iraq, or Iran itself during Operations Rising Lion and Operation Roaring Lion.

Approximately 43,000 of these victims have applied to the NII to have their disabilities recognized as resulting from hostile acts, with about 40,000 applications approved.

Of those whose disabilities were recognized, 34,878 were approved on psychological grounds, 3,171 for physical injuries, while the remaining 2,355 were recognized for both physical and psychological injuries.

The NII has already transferred more than NIS 6 billion ($2 billion) to victims of Oct. 7 and the war, including victims of hostile acts, bereaved families and families of hostages.

This is in addition to compensation paid to reserve duty soldiers and assistance provided to residents evacuated from homes near combat zones in the Gaza Envelope or near the Lebanese border. Residents whose homes and businesses were damaged by rocket and missile fire also received compensation.

Unemployment payments to individuals placed on unpaid leave by their employers during Operation Rising Lion and Roaring Lion earlier this year totaled around NIS 2 billion ($655 million), according to the report.

There has also been a massive expansion of the infrastructure at the Defense Ministry’s Department of Families, Commemoration and Heritage, including the hiring of new social workers, staff for the military commemoration unit and hundreds of emotional-support therapists.