Over 500 Days of War: By the Numbers
Monday marked the 500th day since the Hamas massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. The IDF and the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department released data showing the devastating toll the war against Hamas and the other Iranian proxies in the region has taken on Israel.
Approximately 1,200 Israelis were murdered by Hamas terrorists and Gaza civilians on Oct.7. 251 hostages were taken into Gaza by Hamas. Seventy-three hostages remain in Gaza, including three taken before Oct. 7. 36 hostages are believed to be dead, including one from before Oct. 7.
Israel has been coping with Hamas attacks from Gaza, Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon, Houthi attacks from Yemen, as well as attacks by Iran. Israeli security forces are also fighting terrorists in Judea and Samaria, as well as other areas inside Israel. The IDF has also taken up positions inside Syria to counter developing threats.
Over 10,000 rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza since Oct. 7. Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel at the same time. In April 2024, Iran sent around 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles at Israel. Again, in October 2024, Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel.
894 members of the security forces, including soldiers, police officers, and members of intelligence agencies, have been killed in combat since Oct. 7th.
Approximately 15,000 have been wounded, with that number including both those physically injured and those suffering from debilitating mental issues.
According to the report, some 8,600 were wounded physically, and 7,600 are facing psychological challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.
The statistics indicated that there is a significant number of security forces who sustained both physical and mental injuries simultaneously.
Notably, 66 percent of those wounded in combat are reserve soldiers, compared to 17 percent being combat soldiers performing their mandatory service.
Ten percent of those wounded were police officers, many of whom sprang into action on October 7th with little training or arms relevant to the scale of the threats they faced.
Half of those wounded were between the ages of 18 to 29, with an additional 30 percent aged between 30 to 39.
The remaining 20 percent of casualties were aged 40 and older.
A recent report from the State Comptroller warned that Israel must do more to support traumatized soldiers and civilians, who are also facing mental health challenges after some 15 months of war.
The government “has not done enough to address the anticipated mental health challenges,” the report states, adding that “no fewer than 3 million Israelis may develop symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD as a result of the war.”
Over 75,500 Israelis have been displaced by the war.
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