Reservists serving in the IDF's casualty treatment units have initiated a public campaign this week calling on the state to formally recognize their critical role and provide support for the emotional and financial toll of their prolonged service.
The campaign, led by fighters, commanders, and personnel from casualty handling battalions, identification doctors, investigators, and search and recovery teams from the IDF's burial units, comes amid what they describe as an unjust omission from benefits granted to other soldiers who served during the Swords of Iron War.
According to these reservists they were mobilized on the morning of October 7th and served without interruption for more than 400 days, including over weekends and Jewish holidays. Their work involved handling thousands of bodies, searching for missing persons and hostages, and conducting 871 funerals personally, under severe mental and physical duress.
Despite their efforts, the group notes they were excluded from post-service support measures provided to combat soldiers. They are now calling for formal recognition of their contribution, psychological care for them and their families, retroactive vacation and rest days, and financial assistance to aid their return to civilian life.
"We are not asking to be recognized as combat soldiers," said a representative of the campaign. "We are asking for recognition of what we went through. We also deserve a response to personal and family resilience, just like those who were on the front lines – only in our case, it was against the outcomes of this war."