Hebrew Media: 90,000 Wounded Soldiers Amid Funding Crisis
Israel’s Channel 12 reported, Saturday, the total number of Israeli soldiers injured physically and psychologically since October 2023 has reached 90,000, including 26,000 who have received psychological treatment, amid a funding crisis affecting the provision of treatment for wounded soldiers.
The channel quoted the Israeli Ministry of Defense as warning that the massive increase in the number of wounded makes any delay in their rehabilitation a potential cause for the collapse of the army’s rehabilitation system.
The channel also quoted the Ministry of Defense’s Rehabilitation Department, which is responsible for treating wounded Israeli soldiers, as saying that it is “on the verge of collapse” due to the Ministry of Finance’s refusal to fund it because of budget shortfalls.
It explained that a committee formed to address the issue recommended allocating two billion shekels annually to the department, but the Ministry of Finance announced, shortly before the scheduled signing of the decision, that no budget had been allocated for it.
The Ministry of Finance placed the responsibility on the Ministry of Defense, stating it should cover the budget by “rationalizing” its spending. The Ministry of Defense responded that the Ministry of Finance was obstructing the implementation of the committee’s recommendations, refusing to fund them, and then blaming the Ministry, according to Channel 12.
This comes as the Israeli army continues to suffer casualties as its operations in southern Lebanon persist.
According to the latest figures released by the Israeli army, 964 officers and soldiers have been killed since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip.
Israel imposes strict military censorship on the publication of much information related to its human and material losses during military operations, leading observers to question whether the published figures reflect the full extent of the losses. Al Jazeera
CrossFireArabia
