How Many Israeli Soldiers Have Died Since October 7? 973 on the IDF’s Count
The IDF counts 973 soldiers fallen since 7 October 2023 whose names are cleared for publication, 472 of them since the Gaza ground manoeuvre began.
Since 7 October 2023, 973 IDF soldiers have fallen whose names are cleared for publication, on the Israel Defense Forces’ own count dated 9 November 2026. The count is updated from IDF Spokesperson announcements. It covers IDF fallen only, and it includes deaths in operational accidents as well as deaths in combat. Totals that carry another scope or another date are different counts and do not restate the 973.
| Figure | What it counts | Who published it | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 973 | IDF fallen whose names are cleared for publication, the IDF’s own count | Israel Defense Forces | 7 October 2023 to the page dated 9 November 2026 |
| 472 | Of the 973, fallen since the start of the Gaza ground manoeuvre, the IDF’s own count | Israel Defense Forces | 27 October 2023 to the page dated 9 November 2026 |
| 6,424 | IDF wounded admitted with a recorded severity, by most severe condition, the IDF’s own count | Israel Defense Forces | Since 7 October 2023; the table carries no date of its own |
| 80 | Southern Command fallen in operational accidents, this site’s sum of five IDF rows | Israel Defense Forces | Start of the ground manoeuvre to 21 January 2026 |
| 1,318 | Fallen added to the roll of Israel’s security services, including the IDF, police, Shin Bet, Prison Service and Fire and Rescue, on the Ministry’s own recognition rules | Ministry of Defense | 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026 |
| 1,029 | Civilians killed in hostile actions, excluding security forces and local response teams, as recognised by the Institute | National Insurance Institute | 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026 |
The IDF counts 973 fallen since 7 October 2023
The Israel Defense Forces records 973 fallen since the start of the war on 7 October 2023, on its own count of soldiers whose names have been cleared for publication. The figure appears twice on the IDF’s own pages: on the war-diary page “IDF fallen and wounded in the war”, and as the heading of the IDF’s list of the fallen, both read on 9 November 2026.
What the 973 includes and leaves out, on the IDF’s own page:
- It counts IDF fallen only, as announced by the IDF Spokesperson.
- It counts only those whose names are cleared for publication.
- It includes deaths in friendly fire and in weapons accidents. It is a count of fallen, not of soldiers killed by enemy fire.
- It does not count Israel’s police, Shin Bet, Prison Service, Fire and Rescue or local security coordinators.
The same page carries the wounded. The Israel Defense Forces records 6,424 wounded since the start of the war, classed by the most severe condition recorded: 3,894 light, 1,572 moderate and 958 severe. The page describes these numbers as dynamic, so earlier editions of the page carry different figures.
472 of the 973 fell after the Gaza ground manoeuvre began
The Israel Defense Forces records 472 fallen since the start of the Gaza ground manoeuvre on 27 October 2023, on its own count of names cleared for publication. The 472 sits inside the 973. It is not added to it.
The page sets the wounded out the same way, with the manoeuvre figures inside the war totals:
| Measure | Since 7 October 2023 | Since 27 October 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Fallen, names cleared for publication | 973 | 472 |
| Wounded, light | 3,894 | 1,549 |
| Wounded, moderate | 1,572 | 888 |
| Wounded, severe | 958 | 567 |
| Wounded, total | 6,424 | 3,004 |
Source: Israel Defense Forces, “IDF fallen and wounded in the war”, the IDF’s own count, page dated 9 November 2026. The fallen rows track announcements. The manoeuvre wounded table carries a footnote dated 24 February 2026, and the war wounded table carries no date of its own, so neither wounded column is current to the page date.
80 Southern Command fallen died in operational accidents, the IDF records
Southern Command records 80 fallen in operational accidents as at 21 January 2026, across five categories on the IDF’s own classification. The 80 is this site’s sum of those five rows; the IDF page prints the rows, not a total. Southern Command’s accident data run from the start of the ground manoeuvre.
Northern Command records 4 deaths in operational accidents and 1 other, counted from 7 October 2023. The accident counts carry a January 2026 cut-off while the 973 tracks announcements to November 2026, so the accident figures are not a share of the 973.
The IDF page also counts the wounded in operational accidents:
- 2,416 in total, as at 26 January 2026.
- 1,932 of them in Southern Command.
- 484 of them in Northern Command.
These accident wounded are not subtracted from the wounded totals above. The page states that the accident counts include soldiers treated in the field and never admitted, while the war totals count only those admitted with a recorded severity.
The IDF’s 973 does not count police and Shin Bet deaths
The Israel Defense Forces counts IDF fallen only, on its own list of names cleared for publication, so deaths among Israel’s other security services sit outside the 973. A count that includes them comes from a different body. The Ministry of Defense’s Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division published that count on 4 October 2026, on its own recognition rules.
| Figure | What it counts | Who published it | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 973 | IDF fallen, names cleared for publication, the IDF’s own count | Israel Defense Forces | To the page dated 9 November 2026 |
| 1,318 | Fallen added to the roll of Israel’s security services: IDF, police, Shin Bet, Prison Service, Fire and Rescue, security coordinators and local response-team members, including deaths in service from any cause the Ministry recognises | Ministry of Defense | 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026 |
| More than 7,150 | Family members newly bereaved: 2,143 parents, 355 widows, 880 orphans, 3,772 siblings, the Ministry’s own count | Ministry of Defense | 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026 |
| 1,029 | Civilians killed in hostile actions, excluding security forces and local response teams | National Insurance Institute | 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026 |
The 1,318 and the 973 come from two bodies with two scopes and two dates. The difference between them is not a count of police deaths or of any other group. The National Insurance Institute counted 1,029 civilians killed in hostile actions, of whom 778 died on 7 October 2023 and 251 during the war since. The Institute’s count excludes security forces, and it is not added to the 973 or to the 1,318.
Which figures here may not be added together?
None of the three headline counts adds to another. The Israel Defense Forces counts its own fallen whose names are cleared for publication, updated from Spokesperson announcements. The Ministry of Defense counts fallen across the security services on its own recognition rules, which the IDF list may not mirror. The National Insurance Institute counts civilians it recognises as hostile-action victims. The 472 sits inside the 973, the accident counts carry a January 2026 cut-off, and the wounded tables carry their own dates.
Questions readers ask
Does the 973 include soldiers killed in accidents?
Yes. The Israel Defense Forces records deaths in friendly fire and in weapons accidents inside its count of the fallen. The 973 counts fallen, on the IDF’s own list of names cleared for publication, not only soldiers killed by enemy fire.
Who publishes the number of IDF soldiers killed?
The Israel Defense Forces publishes it on its war-diary page, “IDF fallen and wounded in the war”, updated from IDF Spokesperson announcements. The page dated 9 November 2026 gives 973, on the IDF’s own count.
Why does the IDF count only names cleared for publication?
The Israel Defense Forces states its figure as fallen “whose names have been cleared for publication”. That is the threshold the count applies, and a soldier enters it once the name is released.
How many IDF soldiers have been wounded since 7 October 2023?
The Israel Defense Forces records 6,424 wounded since the start of the war, on its own count by most severe recorded condition: 3,894 light, 1,572 moderate and 958 severe. The page calls the figures dynamic, and the war table carries no date of its own.
How many soldiers died in the Gaza ground manoeuvre?
The Israel Defense Forces records 472 fallen since the start of the Gaza ground manoeuvre on 27 October 2023, on its own count. The 472 is part of the 973, not an addition to it.
How many soldiers were killed by friendly fire?
Southern Command records 31 fallen in friendly fire from the start of the ground manoeuvre to 21 January 2026, on the IDF’s own categories. Northern Command records its accident deaths separately.
How many soldiers were wounded in operational accidents?
The Israel Defense Forces recorded 2,416 wounded in operational accidents as at 26 January 2026, on its own count: 1,932 in Southern Command and 484 in Northern Command. These include soldiers treated in the field and never admitted.
Does the IDF count include police officers?
No. The Israel Defense Forces counts IDF fallen only, on its own list of names cleared for publication. Police, Shin Bet, Prison Service and Fire and Rescue deaths are outside the 973.
What does the figure of 1,318 count?
The Ministry of Defense counted 1,318 fallen added to the roll of Israel’s security services from 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026, on its own recognition rules. It covers the IDF, police, Shin Bet, the Prison Service, Fire and Rescue, security coordinators and local response-team members.
Can the 973 be subtracted from the 1,318?
No. The Ministry of Defense count and the Israel Defense Forces count come from two bodies with different scopes and dates, and the Ministry includes deaths in service from any cause it recognises. The difference is not a count of any one group.
How many families were bereaved by the war?
The Ministry of Defense counted more than 7,150 family members newly bereaved among the security services as at 4 October 2026, on its own count: 2,143 parents, 355 widows, 880 orphans and 3,772 siblings.
How many Israeli civilians have been killed since 7 October 2023?
The National Insurance Institute counted 1,029 civilians killed in hostile actions from 7 October 2023 to 4 October 2026, excluding security forces and local response teams. The count includes 88 foreign nationals and 63 children and teenagers up to 18.
How many civilians died on 7 October 2023 itself?
The National Insurance Institute counted 778 civilians killed on 7 October 2023, of them 70 foreign nationals, within its total of 1,029. The other 251 died during the war since.
Sources
- Israel Defense Forces, 2026. IDF fallen and wounded in the war (חללי ופצועי צה”ל במלחמה). IDF Spokesperson’s unit, war diary on idf.il, page dated 9 November 2026. Official or primary record, a party’s own count.
- Ministry of Defense, 2026. The Ministry of Defense publishes the count of the fallen in the war. Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division, release of 4 October 2026, mod.gov.il. Official or primary record, a party’s own count.
- National Insurance Institute of Israel, 2026. Data marking the third anniversary of the 7 October massacre and the start of the war. Press release, 4 October 2026, https://www.btl.gov.il/About/newspapers/Pages/Oct7-info2026.aspx. Official or primary record.
