Over 6,000 Injured Troops Presents Tough Challenge

Stand for Israel  |  January 2, 2024

As soldiers defend Israel in the current war, many suffer significant injuries on the battlefields. And experts say Israel must work to meet their rehabilitation needs and face the long-term effects on Israeli society, reports The Times of Israel:

Tudoran, 27, a reservist who volunteered for duty after the devastating October 7 Hamas massacres in southern Israel which triggered the war, lost his right leg beneath the hip. He has kept up a positive attitude — but concedes that his hopes of becoming an electrician may no longer be possible.

Tudoran is part of a swelling number of wounded soldiers, a sizable and deeply traumatized segment of Israeli society whose struggles are emerging as a hidden cost of the war that will be felt acutely for years to come. Given the large numbers of wounded, advocates worry the country is not prepared to address their needs.

“I have never seen a scope like this and an intensity like this,” said Edan Kleiman, who heads the nonprofit Disabled Veterans Organization, which advocates for more than 50,000 soldiers wounded in this and earlier conflicts. “We must rehabilitate these people,” he said.