4,000 Israeli soldiers disabled in ongoing Gaza war

JERUSALEM

Hebrew news site, Walla, said late Friday that 4,000 Israeli soldiers have become disabled since the beginning of the war against the Gaza Strip in October, with estimations suggesting that the number could rise to 30,000.

"The country is preparing to receive a large number of disabled Israeli soldiers, and after 100 days of the war, around 4,000 soldiers have already been acknowledged as having disabilities," it said.

The site considered Hamas' attack on Oct. 7 as having "led Israel into a war that it had not previously experienced in terms of the number of soldier injuries, but more importantly, the injuries are extremely severe."

"Thanks to the devoted and high-quality care provided by rescue teams and medical teams, those with severe injuries survive," it said.

The site added that the Israeli army "does not provide all data about the wounded to the public, for fear that it will lower people's morale."

"Currently, about 4,000 soldiers (with disabilities) have been recognized according to classification 3, meaning they are entitled to all treatments and rights enjoyed by a disabled person in the Israeli army without being officially recognized in this way," said Walla.

It noted that salaries are being paid to injured soldiers and their treatment without the need to prove anything and that the rehabilitation process "will begin soon to reintegrate them into life."

The site quoted Idan Kaliman, chairman of the Israel Defense Forces Organization for the Disables, who said: "I have been in the organization for 30 years, and I have never encountered such a large number of severely wounded individuals. There are many wounded with amputated limbs, blindness, or paralysis."

Kaliman pointed out that there are "many wounded who have had their limbs amputated, as well as those who were blinded and paralyzed."

The Israeli army announced the conscription of 360,000 reservists in the ongoing war against the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, while the ground operation began Oct. 27.

As of early Friday, the number of officers and soldiers killed in the ranks of the army since the beginning of the war hit 520, including 186 since the start of the ground war in Gaza.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul