A growing need for long term care
Israel's Defense Ministry said on October 6 that approximately 30,000 wounded soldiers and security personnel had entered its Rehabilitation Department since October 7, 2023. The three year update describes an expansion of psychological care, community support and education assistance alongside the continuing human cost of the war.
According to the ministry, 63% of those admitted are dealing with psychological reactions and 37% with physical injuries. The total is a measure of admissions to the rehabilitation system, rather than a count of people physically wounded on the battlefield. Nor does the psychological category mean that everyone in it has a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder.
Across all Israeli conflicts, the department now serves 91,200 people. It forecasts a caseload of about 100,000 by 2028, making the latest admissions part of a much wider responsibility for care. That figure is a projection, not the current patient total.
More funding and community services
The department's budget has risen by 88% over three years to 10 billion shekels, the ministry said. More than 60% is directed toward responses and treatment for psychological injuries and post traumatic stress. The spending figures describe resources allocated, rather than a measurement of patients' recovery.
The expanded services include mobile emergency and crisis teams, rehabilitation farms and community alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization. Together, these provide different settings for support beyond conventional appointments. The ministry's update does not establish how the expansion has affected waiting times or access for every patient.
Returning to study, while reform proceeds
Since the start of the war, 2,425 wounded men and women have received support and full funding for academic or vocational study, according to the ministry. Education and employment are therefore part of the rehabilitation response, alongside medical and psychological care.
The ministry also says it has begun implementing recommendations approved by the government in July. The planned changes include turning the department into a national rehabilitation authority, assigning a personal contact to each injured person and simplifying recognition procedures. Implementation has begun; the announcement does not mean every element is already operating. The immediate picture is of a care system expanding while the number of people depending on it continues to grow.
