JERUSALEM
At least ten Israeli soldiers committed suicide in 2014, including four who took part in a devastating military onslaught on the Gaza Strip this summer, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Thursday.
According to the newspaper, which conducted the survey, three more soldiers committed suicide in 2014 than in the year before.
It added that Israeli officials were looking into the reasons for the suicides, noting that three soldiers had killed themselves after having taken part in the Gaza offensive while one reservist did so after having been called up for duty during the operation.
Haaretz asserted that suicide among Israeli soldiers in 2014 indicated a "downward trend," claiming that an annual average of 22 soldiers had killed themselves in previous years.
Throughout July and August, Israel conducted a 51-day military offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing more than 2,160 Palestinians – mostly civilians – and injuring some 11,000.
At least 73 Israelis – 68 soldiers and five civilians – were also killed during the offensive, according to Israeli figures.
www.aa.com.tr/en
