Israeli Police Officers' Hearing Loss Claims Due to Combat Noise Allowed to Proceed
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
An Israeli court allowed two police officers' claims for hearing loss due to combat noise exposure during the "Swords of Iron" war to proceed, overturning initial rejections by the Ministry of Defense.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Court allows police officers' hearing loss claims from combat noise.
- Officers exposed to rocket fire and artillery during service.
- Defense argued noise exposure was not unique to their service.
- Court ruled their duties involved unique, unprotected exposure.
- Case returned for medical assessment of hearing loss.
A Haifa District Court's appeals committee has ruled that two Israeli police officers can pursue their claims for hearing loss and tinnitus allegedly caused by exposure to combat noise during their service. The officers, who served as patrol officers in Karmiel and Katzrin, filed claims in 2025 seeking recognition for hearing impairments they attribute to the "Swords of Iron" war, which began in October 2023. They described being exposed to Hezbollah rocket fire, drone attacks, and Israeli Iron Dome and artillery fire while responding to missile impact sites.
One officer had previously been recognized in 2013 for hearing loss due to exposure to weaponry and sought recognition for an aggravation of his condition. He stated in an affidavit that he was required to visit numerous sites hit by projectiles, often lying on the ground near his vehicle without protection. The other officer from Katzrin provided a similar account.
The Ministry of Defense's compensation officer had initially rejected the claims, arguing that the noise exposure was common to all residents in the area, including public transport and emergency vehicle drivers, and therefore not unique to the officers' service. The officer also contended that the police were merely "onlookers" and did not operate the weaponry themselves.
However, the appeals committee, led by Judge Amir Salama, found that the officers' duties required them to repeatedly visit open areas, sometimes near impact zones, without access to protected spaces. This prolonged, frequent, and intense exposure, exacerbated by a lack of protection, was deemed fundamentally different from that of an average citizen or a public transport driver. Consequently, the initial rejections were overturned.
The case has been returned to the compensation officer to medically assess the officers' hearing loss and its connection to their described exposure. The officer was also ordered to pay each officer 5,000 shekels in legal fees.