Death rate of wounded Israeli fighters in Gaza - lowest in country's history; IDF: In Lebanon the story will be different

More than three months have passed since the beginning of the war in Gaza and the IDF has reported 3,220 wounded soldiers.

Official data published on Monday showed a dramatic decrease in the death rate of wounded soldiers during the Iron Swords War compared to any previous war, including Operation Protective Edge and both Lebanon wars.

The mortality rate of wounded soldiers in the war in Gaza now stands at 6.7% - the lowest figure in the history of the IDF and the world when, by comparison, in Operation Protective Edge the rate was 9.2%, and about 15% in the Second Lebanon War.

This is a decrease of more than double. The reason for the decrease is the technological means for treatment in the field, such as the fact that blood doses are given immediately, as well as the large number of doctors and paramedics, among whom there are means for immediate treatment such as surgeons, anesthetics, and trauma devices.

According to the data, the average arrival time of a wounded person from the battlefield to the emergency room from the moment of injury is 1 hour and 6 minutes.

However, the IDF believes that if the fighting should expand against Hezbollah in Lebanon, it will be difficult to meet these medical standards.

The fact that Lebanon is a larger area with significantly greater distances makes it difficult to fully cover snipers in the field, including the necessary medical equipment.

Also, the IDF estimates that the hospitals in the sector will be on standby, adding to the accumulated fatigue and burnout of medical teams from the last few months.

In the event of an escalation in the north, the IDF is considering establishing a field hospital in the area with the capability to perform complex life-saving treatments.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, about 9,000 soldiers have been treated for stress and have needed an appointment with a medical professional.

Of those, 1,500 were found to have symptoms that required more than one meeting with a medical professional for treatment.

About 300 of them are defined as post-trauma patients, of which 75% have returned to service in their units.

The IDF is planning to establish a mental health center. Plans and resources have already been approved. Since the beginning of the campaign in Gaza, more than 800 military mental health professionals have been recruited, as there are only about 600 currently active in the IDF ranks.

IDF Chief Medical Officer, Brig.-Gen. Prof. Alon Glazberg said: "We have set a high bar for ourselves in the fighting in Gaza, which will challenge us in combat in the northern arena. A combination of doctors and paramedics on the front line, creating evacuation and "mobile intensive care units" on the battlefield, will save the lives of hundreds of wounded. This is the process of saving lives – from the point of injury, through the treatment by the medical teams in the field, evacuation in vehicles and helicopters to the hospitals – those who would not have survived in the past."