Reserve soldier Uriel Gethon takes his own life: "Wounds that no one sees"

Last Thursday, Staff Sergeant (res.) Uriel Molto Gethon, 24, from Karmiel, who was not on active duty, took his own life.

"The heart aches for his family. For the void that opened in a single moment and for the life that from that moment on will never be the same," wrote the brother of his friend, Staff Sergeant Avraham Ovgan, a fighter in the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade who fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip in February 2024. "Uriel is a painful reminder that not every wound is visible from the outside. Our soldiers can return home healthy in body, but carry deep wounds within them that no one sees."

He added: "After so much loss that this group has already experienced, another friend is gone. Another pain that joins everything they already carry with them. Uriel, the heart aches for you. For the life that could have been, for everything that was still ahead of you, and for everyone who loved you." He concluded: "I wish we would no longer have to lose anyone. I wish that everyone who returns from the war will also manage to return to themselves. May his memory be a blessing."

Karmiel Mayor Moshe Koninsky also wrote in memory of Gethon: "I want to dedicate this weekend to our reservists. The first to arrive, the first to fight, and too many times — the last to receive the help they so desperately need." In a post, he noted: "Since October 7, we have discovered a wonderful generation of young people. Hundreds of thousands of reservists left their homes, families, children, and work in a single moment to defend the homeland. Many returned in coffins, thousands were physically wounded, others were wounded in their souls, but the wound is hard to locate, and sometimes it is discovered too late."

According to Koninsky, the State of Israel, the Ministry of Defense, and the IDF are doing things for the reservists, but it is still not enough: "We must be there also on the day after with available mental health care, support for families, and assistance in returning to routine. We are a nation of superheroes, but those who stood up first to protect us need to know that we will be there for them too after the end of reserve service. Karmiel embraces the family and shares in its great sorrow."

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated that in accordance with the outline established by the committee headed by Major General (res.) Moti Almoz, an initial examination of the case was held. "It was found that the circumstances of his death may be related to his military service," the IDF stated. "Therefore, the IDF has reached out to the family to provide a dedicated response." A military delegation was present at Uriel's funeral, and the family was informed of the process to apply to the Ministry of Defense for recognition as a "fallen due to service." If a causal link is established, the family will be entitled to all economic and social benefits. "The IDF honors the significant service of the late Uriel and shares in the family's sorrow," the statement concluded.