Israel is engaged in a conflict whose consequences extend far beyond the battlefield, placing constant pressure on individuals, communities, and healthcare system striving to address physical injuries, psychological trauma, and long-term rehabilitation under continuous strain. The strategic challenge lies in addressing immediate threats as well as managing the wide-ranging societal impact of prolonged warfare across multiple dimensions. Some repercussions are deeply traumatic. 

The NATO CPE event explored the human cost of prolonged conflict through accountability, medical, social, and psychological lenses. Att. Col. (Res.) Sharon Zagagi Pinhas introduced the findings of the Dinah Project. The Project demonstrated that the sexual violence during the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and the continued abuse of hostages represent deliberate tactics of war, intended to inflict lasting harm, destabilize society, and undermine resilience.

Participants od the panel discussion, i.e. chairperson of Forum Dvorach, and member of NATO Civil Society Advisory Panel on Women, Peace, and Security, Col. (Res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, Crisis Management and Emergency Response Consultant, Gabriela Ben David, former Deputy State Attorney for Criminal Affairs, Nava Ben-Or, Head of the School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Dorit Nitzan, Head of the PREPARED Center for Emergency Response Research, BGU, Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel, discussed Israeli expertise in building a resilient society and the growing engagement and importance of women in the field of national security.

It was mentioned - among other things – that Israel is one of only a few countries in the world with mandatory military service for women. Among NATO Member Countries, only Norway and Sweden have obligatory military service for women, with Denmark introducing such change in 2026. Currently, women make up 33% of soldiers who join the IDF and 51% of its serving officers. One in five (21%) Israeli combat soldiers is female. Between 2012 and 2024 the number of female combat soldiers rose tenfold.