Shocking numbers on suffering of Israeli civilians during year-long war

A total of 921 Israelis became orphans as a result of the war.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s National Insurance Institute has released shocking statistics on the toll the year-long war has taken on Israel’s civilian population, Ynet reports.

The statistics do not include military personnel and soldiers, which the Defense Ministry updates.

Since October 7th, 2023, 885 civilians were killed, including 581 men and 304 women; 72 were foreign nationals, and 53 were minors.

Of the children who were killed, four were age 0-3, two were 3-5, three were 5-8, nine were 8-12, eight were 12-14 and 27 were age 14-18.

A total of 921 became orphans as a result of the war, including 291 minors. In addition, 226 people were widowed, including 47 men and 179 women.

Parents who became bereaved totaled 1,078, 581 of them mothers and 498 fathers. Of these bereaved parents, 120 lost all of their children. The number of those who have lost siblings is 1,880, including 998 men and 882 women.

On October 7th, 217 civilians were kidnapped (not including soldiers), and 143 civilians were returned, including the 116 who were released alive (92 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals), and 27 bodies of hostages were recovered from Gaza.

Among the hostages still held in Gaza, 74 of them are civilians, 52 are believed to be alive and 22 are presumed dead. Including security forces, there are 101 hostages who are still in Gaza.

A total of 70,000 civilians have been treated as victims of terrorism (sustaining physical and psychological injuries) since October 7th, and 647 were foreign nationals. Of these, 12,700 are receiving permanent disability benefits, and 11,760 are being treated and receiving benefits for psychological trauma.

The National Insurance Institute has paid NIS 2.4 billion ($630 million) to bereaved families and terror victims and has given financial aid to the tune of NIS 3.5 billion ($920 million) to residents of the north and the south, many of whom have been evacuated from their homes.

“We mourn the lives cruelly taken by a merciless enemy, and we will continue to support the victims of terror. We will not rest until all hostages are returned home,” Labor Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur said on the tragic passing year.