Thomas Adzguaskas, who fought in the Givati Brigade defending Kfar Aza on October 7th and who subsequently served in Gaza, recently committed suicide.
By Rachel Avraham
Thomas Adzgauskas, a former officer in the Givati Brigade who fought in Kfar Aza on October 7th, took his own life under tragic circumstances, Arutz Sheva reported. According to the report, his body was found in a park in Ashdod. In recent times, he was recognized as a disabled veteran suffering from mental health problems by the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Program and was receiving both psychological and psychiatric support, Arutz Sheva noted. After the October 7th massacre, Adzgauskas fought in the Gaza Strip and was discharged in April 2024.
According to Haaretz, in a post he published before taking his life, he said that his life was ruined on October 7, “the date which ruined everything I had been,” he wrote on Facebook. “I can’t do it anymore; I’m all ruin and destruction… I can’t live with it any longer. No one understands me anyway,” he added.
“There is a demon inside me that’s been haunting me since October 7. Please forget me and remember Tomas Adzgauskas, who was an officer who commanded snipers. That Tomas was killed on October 7; I’m just some soul looking for its own peace; for two years I haven’t been able to live with myself,” he said.
According to Haaretz, at least 15 soldiers who were discharged and no longer on active duty have committed suicide since the war began, due to mental health problems caused by their military service. At least five policemen also took their own lives as a result of the Israel-Gaza war, Haaretz added. According to the report, organizations that deal with the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) say that the number of people committing suicide is most likely greater, since most cases remain unreported.
According to official IDF figures, there has been a rise in the number of soldiers who die by suicide while on active duty since the war began, compared to previous years, Haaretz reported. According to the report, this includes conscript soldiers and reservists. Between October 7 and the end of 2023, seven soldiers on active duty took their own lives, Haaretz noted. In 2024, the number was 24, Haaretz added. Since the beginning of 2025, at least 20 other soldiers on active duty have committed suicide, Haaretz reported. In the decade preceding the war, the number of soldiers committing suicide stood at 12 a year, on average, Haaretz stressed. Haaretz concluded that the Israel Defense Forces claims that many of those who died by suicide had been exposed to serious incidents which had apparently affected their mental health.
Prof. Yair Bar-Haim, head of Tel Aviv University’s National Center for Trauma and Resilience, who led a study on the subject, stated there is a sharp rise in the number of soldiers reporting multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder following their service in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reported. According to the report, about 12% of discharged soldiers showed “significant” post-traumatic symptoms, the researcher said, saying the war has increased “psychological distress.” The data, Bar-Haim said, “contributes to the understanding that Israel is facing a mental health emergency. Decision-makers must act urgently to develop long-term solutions to address the need for treating a high number of soldiers with PTSD,” he said.
