Israeli soldier commits suicide after participating in Gaza war

An Israeli soldier was found dead in an apparent case of suicide on the first day of 2026, according to Israeli media reports.

Ari Goldberg was originally from the US state of Virginia. He moved to Israel in 2022 and later joined the Israeli military.

Authorities said that he was found with a gunshot wound and that the case is being treated as a suicide.

Israeli media reports, citing people familiar with the matter, said that Goldberg had been struggling emotionally after taking part in military operations in Gaza.

His friends and acquaintances were quoted as saying that he showed signs of severe psychological distress linked to what he saw and experienced during his service.

The Israeli military has not confirmed any specific reason behind his death. It also did not disclose details about Goldberg’s unit or where he had been deployed, saying only that the death had occurred.

Military officials declined to comment further, saying that an internal inquiry would be carried out, as is routine in such cases, though findings are rarely made public.

Goldberg’s death has renewed discussion in Israel about the mental health toll of the Gaza war on soldiers.