Tel Aviv, MINA – The Israeli Rabbinate has issued a directive prohibiting reserve soldiers who have served in the Israeli military from carrying personal weapons, citing concerns over the increasing number of suicide cases among troops.
According to Israeli media reports, the ban also includes the assignment of discharged reservists to combat units. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stated that the decision is a temporary precautionary measure aimed at providing reserve members with time to rest and recover during a “difficult and stressful period.”
The IOF added that individual requests to carry a weapon will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as reported by Middle East Monitor.
This step follows the release of alarming data from a Knesset Research and Information Center report, which showed a sharp increase in suicide cases among Israeli soldiers—especially reservists—since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
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Between January 2024 and July 2025, the report documented 279 suicide attempts among soldiers, with an average of seven attempts for every death. The report also found that 21 percent of suicide cases in recent years occurred among reserve soldiers, a figure that has raised serious concern among military and mental health officials.
The Rabbinate’s decision reflects the growing anxiety within the Israeli security establishment over the psychological impact of the prolonged conflict and the repeated mobilization of reserve forces.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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