Israeli casualties of war
Israeli casualties of war, in addition to those of Israel's nine major wars, include 9,745 soldiers and security forces personnel killed in "miscellaneous engagements and terrorist attacks",[1] which includes security forces members killed during military operations, by fighting crime, natural disasters, diseases, traffic or labor accidents and disabled veterans whose disabilities contributed to their deaths.[2] Between 1948 and 1997, 20,093[3] Israeli soldiers were killed in combat, 75,000 Israelis were wounded, and nearly 100,000[4] Israelis were considered disabled army veterans. On the other hand, in 2010 Yom Hazikaron, Israel honored the memory of 22,684 Israeli soldiers and pre-Israeli Palestinian Jews killed since 1860 in the line of duty for the independence, preservation and protection of the nation, and 3,971 civilian terror victims.[2][5][6] The memorial roll, in addition to IDF members deceased, also include fallen members of the Shin Bet security service, the Mossad intelligence service, the Israel Police, the Border Police, the Israel Prisons Service, other Israeli security forces, the pre-state Jewish underground, and the Jewish Brigade and the Jewish Legion (which served alongside British forces in World War II and World War I respectively).
According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Anti-Defamation League, a total of 1,194 Israelis and foreigners were killed[7][8] and 7,000 wounded[9] between September 2000 and August 2010 by Palestinian terror attacks (most of them during 2000–2005 Second Intifada); while more than 3,000 Israelis[10][11] have been killed and 25,000 have been wounded as a result of Palestinian violence and hostile enemy action (without including wars) since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 until today. Another 685 Jewish residents of Mandatory Palestine were killed between 1920 and 1947 as a result of Arab riots, British anti-Zionist operations and World War II attacks.[12][13] Palestinians killed 1,074 Israelis and wounded 7,520 between 2000 and 2005.[14]
The following tables summarize Israeli casualties by war, conflict or incident.
Prior to Israel's independence
Conflicts with Arabs
Conflicts prior to Israel's independence | Military deaths | Civilian deaths | Total deaths | Military and/or Civilian wounded | Total casualties |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battle of Tel Hai | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
1920 Nebi Musa riots | 0 | 5 | 5 | 216 | 221 |
1921 Jaffa riots | 0 | 47[15] | 47 | 146 | 193 |
1921 Jerusalem riots | 0 | 5 | 5 | Unknown | Unknown |
1929 Buraq riots | 0 | 133 | 133 | 339 | 472 |
1933 Palestine riots | 0 | 0 | 0 | Unknown | Unknown |
1936–1939 Arab revolt | 0 | 415+[16] | 415 | 1,200+ | 1,615 |
Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine | At least 34 members of Palmach[17] | Unknown | 50-100 | Unknown | Unknown |
1947–48 Civil War | 895 | 408[18] | 1,303+ | 2,000[19] | 3,303 |
Sinking of ships carrying Jewish immigrants
In the White Paper of 1939 the British government limited Jewish immigration to Palestine to 75,000 over the following five years.[20] European Jews were anxious for ways to leave Europe, but for the most part there were few options. No countries were willing to take Jewish immigrants. However, some Eastern European states were willing to give transit visas. During World War II, many countries denied or severely limited Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust, and Palestine was one of the few destinations available.[21]
In post-Holocaust Europe, the 1,000,000 Jewish survivors were classified as "non-repatrifiable" by the Austrian and German government. In other words, Jews were not "officially allowed to leave the countries of Central and East Europe" by the allied powers, nor were they permitted to settle in Palestine by the British.
An unknown number of Jewish refugees perished en route from European ports to Palestine, and over 30,000 holocaust survivors who successfully immigrated were interned by the British in POW camps.[22] Many immigrant ships were sunk during the British blockade.
Note: Graph is not comprehensive
Casualties attributed to Britain's naval blockade of Mandatory Palestine | Deaths | Survivors |
---|---|---|
SS Patria (sunk by the Jewish paramilitary group Haganah) | 260[23] | 1,510 |
MV Struma (sunk by Soviet submarine in the Black Sea on World War II) | 785[24] | 1[15] |
SS Bulgaria | 280 | 70 |
MV Mefküre (sunk by Soviet submarine in the Black Sea in World War II) | 345 | 5 |
SS Exodus | 3 | 4,512 |
Regular conflicts
Bold indicates conflicts considered wars by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (as they were named by Israel):[25]
Conflict | Military deaths | Civilian deaths | Total deaths (not including foreigners) | Military and/or civilian wounded | Total casualties |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
War of Independence (1948) | 4,000 | 2,400 | 6,373[1] | 15,000[26] | 21,400 |
1951–1955 fedayeen attacks including Retribution operations | Unknown | Unknown | 400[27]-967[28] | 900[27]-1,300[29] | 1,300–2,267 |
1956–1967 fedayeen attacks | Unknown | Unknown | 178[12] | 1,574+[30] | 1,752+ |
1968–1987 fedayeen attacks | Unknown | Unknown | 567[12] | Unknown | Unknown |
Sinai War (1956) | 231[1] | 0 | 231 | 899 | 1,130 |
Samu Incident (1966) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
Six-Day War (1967) | 776[31] | 20[32] | 796 | 4,517 | 5,293 |
War of Attrition (1967–71) | 1,424[33][34] | 127[34] | 1,551 | 2,700 | 4,251+ |
Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon (1968–1982) | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
Yom Kippur War (1973) | 2,656 | 0 | 2,656 | 9,000 | 11,656 |
Operation Litani (1978) | 18[35] | 0 | 18 | 113[35] | 131 |
First Lebanon War (1982-1985) | 657 | 10 | 667 | 6,500[36][37][38] | 7,167 |
Security Zone in Lebanon Campaign (1985-2000) | 256 | 90 | 636 | 1,200 | 1,836 |
First Intifada 1987–1993 | 60[39] | 100[39] | 160 | 500 | 660 |
Palestinian political violence 1993–2000 | 170[40] | 99 | 269 | 400 | 669 |
Second Intifada 2000–2008 including Operation Defensive Wall, Operation Rainbow and Operation Days of Penitence (fatalities since the outbreak of the Second Intifada and until Operation Cast Lead) | 332[10] | 731[10] | 1,063 | 8,800[41][42] | 9,863[43] |
2000–2006 Shebaa Farms conflict | 16 | 7 | 23 | 19 | 42 |
Second Lebanon War (2006) | 121 | 44 | 165 | 2,067 | 2,237[44] |
Operation Cast Lead (2008–09) | 10[45] | 3 | 13 | 518 | 531 |
Current Palestinian and foreigner violence in Israel and the Palestinian Authority and Gaza Strip (since 19 January 2009) including Operation Pillar of Defense (excluding Operation Protective Edge) | 18[46][47][48][49][50] | 52[46][51][52][53][54][55][56] | 70[7] | 322[57][58][59][60] | 392+ |
2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash, Hanikra border clash and Golan clashes | 4[61][62][63] | 1[64] | 5 | 17[64][65][66][67][68] | 22 |
Operation Protective Edge (2014) | 67[69] | 5 | 72 | 530 | 602 |
Terror and other attacks 1948-1967
Terror and other attacks 1968–1987
Note: Table is not comprehensive
Attacks against Israeli diplomatic missions
Terrorist attacks against Israeli diplomatic missions | Israeli deaths | Other deaths | Total deaths | Israeli and/or foreigner wounded | Total casualties |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1969 Israel embassies attack[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
1970 Israeli Consulate attack in Asuncion[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
1972 Israeli Embassy attack in Brussels[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1972 Embassy attack in Istanbul[76][74] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1972 Israeli Embassy employee attack[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1972 Israeli Embassy attack in Bangkok[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1973 Israeli Embassy Air Force Attache attack in Washington[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1979 Israeli Ambassador assassination attempt in Lisbon[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
1981 Israeli Embassy attack in Vienna[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1982 Israeli Embassy Attache assassination in Paris[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1982 Israeli Ambassador assassination in London[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1982 Israeli Embassy Charge d'Affaires kidnapping attempt in Malta[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1982 Israeli Embassy attack in Quito[75] | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
1982 Israeli Embassy attack in Sydney[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
1984 Israeli Embassy attack in Cairo[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1984 Israeli Embassy Interest Section Chief attack in Colombo[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1984 Israeli Embassy attack in Cyprus[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1985 Israeli Embassy employee attack in Cairo[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
1986 Israeli Embassy employee attack in Cairo[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
1988 Israeli Embassy attack in Manila[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1988 Israeli Embassy failed attack in Nicosia[75] | 0 | Several policeman | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
1992 Israeli Embassy employee assassination in Ankara[75] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires | 4 | 25 | 29 | 242 | 271 |
1994 Israeli Embassy attack in Bangkok[75] | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1994 Israeli Embassy Attack in London | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 20 |
1997 Israeli Embassy attack in Amman[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
1998 Israeli Embassy failed attack in Brussels[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1999 Israeli Consulate attack in Berlin[75] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2004 Tashkent Israeli embassy bombing | 1 | 4 | 5[77] | 5+[78] | 10+ |
2008 Nouakchott Israeli embassy bombing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[79] | 3 |
2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[80] | 4 |
Suicide Bombings
From 1993 to 2003, 303 Palestinian suicide bombers attacked Israel. More than 80% of all suicide bombings occurred after the year 2000. 55% of all suicide attacks were deemed "successful" – that is, resulted in killing themselves and injuring or killing others.[81] Suicide bombings constituted just 0.5% of Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the first two years of the Second Intifada, though this percentage accounted for half of the Israelis killed in that period.[82]
Year | Realized suicide bombing attacks | Killed | Wounded |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | 4 | 38[83] | 75 |
1995 | 4 | 35[83] | 150 |
1996 | 5 | 67[83] | 161 |
1997 | 5 | 24[83] | 359 |
1998 | 2 | 3[83] | 28 |
1999 | 2 | 0[83] | 0 |
2000 | 4 | 6[41] | 10 |
2001 | 35 | 85[41] | 323 |
2002 | 60 | 220[41] | 119[84] |
2003 | 26 | 142[41] | 105 |
2004 | 15 | 55[41] | 172 |
2005 | 7 | 23[41] | 63 |
2006 | 4 | 15[41] | 31 |
2007 | 1 | 3[85] | 0 |
2008 | 2 | 1[86] | 22 |
Between 2000 and 2006, 521[41] suicide bombing plots were thwarted by the Israeli Defense Forces and 540 Israelis were killed by suicide bombings.[41]
Non-combat military casualties
171 Israeli soldiers have been killed in training exercises and non-combat roles since 1977.[87][88]
Wars ranked by total deaths
Gallery of memorials
- Druze soldiers memorial in Daliyat Al-Karmel
Gallery
- Ambushed Egged bus of the Ma'ale Akrabim massacre
- Remains of armored supply convoys used during the siege of Jerusalem
- Aftermath of an aerial bombing on Tel Aviv during World War II
- Scene of destruction in the Jewish Quarter after the Hebron massacre
- Qassam rocket attack on southern Israel
- Aftermath of the Ben Yehuda Street bombing
- Aftermath of the Jerusalem bulldozer attack
- Charred remains of the hijacked Egged bus during the Coastal Road massacre
- A destroyed bus after being attacked by a suicide bomber during the Southern Israel cross-border attacks.
See also
- Palestinian political violence
- Timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- List of attacks against Israeli civilians before 1967
- List of Israeli civilian casualties in the Second Intifada
- Violence against Israelis in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2001
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2002
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2003
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2004
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2005
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2006
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2007
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2008
- List of violent incidents in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2011
- Yom Hazikaron
- Palestinian casualties of war
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