Israelis reservists thrust into unknown on frontlines of war with Hamas

An earring peeks out from under the helmet of Amir, an Israeli army reservist who identifies as a leftist and is pro-peace. However, he finds himself in the irony of looking through his rifle scope at buildings inside Gaza.

“Being here feels surreal,” says Amir, one of over 360,000 Israeli reservists called up to fight against Gaza-based Hamas militants.

One day civilians, men and women like Amir transform into soldiers the next.

Over camouflage, just 1.5 kilometers from the Palestinian enclave, Amir, who follows army orders and prefers to stay anonymous, completed his military service in 2014, shortly after an earlier Israeli war with Gaza militants.

He humbly admits he still carries “grief and trauma” from that conflict. Despite regular training exercises, he never anticipated being summoned to battle again nine years later.

“No one should have to experience this situation,” he says, clutching his rifle.

“I still know how to use it, but I hope I never have to,” he sighs.

Behind him, his platoon, a group of reservists who are strangers to each other, practice tactical movement with silent hand signals while camouflaged on the ground.

Most Israelis, after completing their mandatory military service, stay in the reserves until age 40.

In Amir’s unit, as in many units across Israel, older volunteers have also chosen to return to active duty since the war on October 7, when Palestinian Hamas militants bypassed the militarized border barrier around Gaza and launched attacks on southern Israel.

They killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, by shooting, stabbing, and burning.

Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza but has been relentlessly bombing the coastal strip for days, obliterating entire neighborhoods. At least 2,750 people, the majority of them innocent Palestinians, have lost their lives.

Israel’s reserves complement the 169,500 military personnel under contract, which include both mandatory and career soldiers.

– Terrifying –

Elia, a 24-year-old female reservist, is a medic who hasn’t worn a uniform in four years.

While she was on a beach in Thailand, the French-Israeli, who works in a startup, received the notification that she had been called up for service.

“Even for us, it’s terrifying. Of course, I question why I’m here, but this is our reality. It’s our duty,” she tells AFP, wearing a medical bag on her back.

Since last week, the army reports that at least 258 Israeli soldiers have died in combat.

At a rest stop in Beit Kama, one of the final stops before reaching Gaza, the scene is vibrant as the transition from civilian to soldier unfolds. Helmets reveal glimpses of dreadlocks. Hipster beards, quirky glasses, oversized pants sagging below the waist, and non-regulation hiking shoes are part of the ensemble.

While the army enforces a strict dress code and punishes soldiers for any deviation from the correct sock color to the texture of a hair scrunchie, the reservists are allowed to “come as they are,” explains a military police officer near Gaza to AFP.

In Israel, the switch from civilian to military life happens with a text message or a phone call.

Since October 7, entire planes have been chartered to transport reservists and other Israelis back home.

The extent of the mobilization is evident in the two-kilometer line of cars parked along the highway near one of the country’s largest bases, close to Jerusalem.

To support their loved ones, the home front is increasing donations such as food, equipment, camping materials, and even free haircuts. However, the army reminds well-intentioned donors that providing tactical or combat equipment is their responsibility.

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