Israeli soldier shoots, injures colleagues after suffering Gaza nightmare

An Israeli soldier recently returned from Gaza injured members of his unit when he woke up from a nightmare and began firing a weapon, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Wednesday.

The soldier was staying at a resort in Ashkelon in southern Israel that is being used by the military for rehabilitation purposes when the incident happened.

The soldier opened fire on a wall, injuring an undisclosed number of soldiers who suffered shrapnel wounds, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The incident was referred for investigation to Israel’s Ministry of Defence, however it was decided that no further action would be taken due to the soldier’s psychological state.

Earlier this month, Israeli daily Haaretz reported that 18% of soldiers participating in the invasion of Gaza are suffering from mental health problems and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The report cited figures given at a Health Warfare Commission hearing by Limor Luria, the head of the Israeli Defence Ministry rehabilitation department.

Footage posted online have shown the intensity of street-to-street fighting in Gaza, where at least 164 Israeli soldiers have been killed.

A report from Israel's Ynet News earlier this month said over 5,000 Israeli soldiers have been injured since the beginning of the war on Gaza, with 2,000 officially recognised by Israel’s Ministry of Defence as disabled.

The Israeli government has been tight-lipped about the extent of army casualties during the invasion of Gaza, with accusations of a wartime crackdown on the free press by the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Numerous reports of soldiers suffering from mental trauma after participating in Israel's brutal assaults on the Palestinian territories have emerged over the years,  with soldiers claiming they are not adequately supported by the government.

In August, Israeli soldier Bar Khalaf set himself on fire amid a dispute with the Israeli Defence Ministry over his disability status. Khalaf served in Israel's 2014 assault on Gaza, later claiming that he had suffered PTSD from his experience.