A New Yorker who traveled to Israel after seeing disturbing images of the brutal attack launched by Hamas on Saturday said the country had changed dramatically since he last visited just a week ago.
Noy Leyb (32) visited his family, who live in the mixed Jewish and Arab city of Acre (Akko), when his nephew was born and said it was a ‘celebration of life’.
The 32-year-old returned on Sunday to help fight with the Israel Defense Forces, with whom he has served in some capacity since the age of 18, and said the horrors of war are palpable in the city.
“We celebrated life and now I’m coming back while people are dying,” he revealed to DailyMail.com exclusively from his barracks in central Israel.
‘We went out and we celebrated that there was no reason for anyone to be afraid that you didn’t have to worry about traveling north or south.
“Now, things have completely changed. After my ten-hour flight, I found out a friend was in the hospital, another shot, someone else on my team killed a friend.
“It used to be a normal happy life in Israel and now people assume that there will be terrorists so they don’t come outside, they lock their doors, it’s unheard of.”
A New Yorker who traveled to Israel after seeing disturbing images of the brutal attack launched by Hamas on Saturday said the country had changed dramatically since he last visited a week ago.
Noy Leyb (32) was visiting his family who live in the mixed Jewish and Arab city of Acre (Akko) when his nephew was born and said it was a ‘celebration of life’.
Leyb said since returning to Israel, gunfire and explosions erupting outside have become the new normal and people are hearing the conflict before it floods the news channels and social media.
‘I landed around 5pm on Sunday night and first went north to get my gear, to see my parents and grandfather, give them a kiss goodbye and then head to the base in central Israel,’ he said.
“We celebrated life and now I return as people die,” Leyb said of the atrocities taking place in the Middle East
‘People are preparing physically and mentally for a very long war, there were army vehicles in the streets and the whole area where my parents live is full of police in case things get worse.
“I think I am strong for my family, I have two brothers who are also called up and both serve, because the eldest is my duty to be strong.”
A Canadian-born Leyb moved to Israel when he was 18 and volunteered to serve in the IDF for three years.
He stayed in Israel and worked with the reserves until he was 30 years old before moving to Michigan and then New York last November.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared over the weekend that Israel was “at war” and called for a massive military response to the Hamas attacks.
These sentiments were echoed by Leyb, who added that the decision to go to Israel for the most recent conflict was not easy, but his duty.
Leyb (left) poses with his two brothers (centre), who also serve, his mother and father (right)
Leybe hugged his mother before leaving. She begged him not to return, but was glad to see him even for a short time. He also sent a photo of his weapon to DailyMail.com on Monday
Leyb said that since returning to Israel, gunfire and explosions erupting outside have become the new normal and people are hearing the conflict before it floods the news channels and social media.
“Hard stories are shared from people I know and my brothers,” he said.
“I’ll be here as long as it takes, a week, a month, nobody’s going home until it’s resolved and doing my part.”
After the plane trip to Israel, Leyb posted a video showing him listening to the airline staff sending their support.
“We want to strengthen the residents of the south, the soldiers of the IDF and the security forces in this difficult time and wish for better days for the state of Israel,” reads the announcement.
Leyb explained that the announcement set the mood for the duration of the trip.
“So it was how the flight started that set the mood for the whole duration and was by far the most emotional plane ride I’ve ever been on,” he said.
He remembers the moment he heard of the 260 people killed and piled on top of each other during a festival massacre, exposing the gravity of the Hamas attack.
“I’m having dinner with my parents and you hear how 260 bodies were cleaned up from the outdoor party that happened and you’re like 260 bodies, can you even get a handle on that number? Like, how do you kill 260 people like that?’ he said.
“The wild thing here is that it’s either one or two degrees of separation, so usually you unfortunately know who it is (being killed).”
The 32-year-old returned on Sunday to help fight with the Israel Defense Forces, with whom he has served in some capacity since the age of 18, and said the horrors of war are palpable in the city
After the plane trip to Israel, Leyb posted a video showing him listening to the airline staff sending their support
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Leyb revealed that telling his family about his return was bittersweet.
“They were happy to see that my father and I understood because he served, but my mother begged me not to come back,” he said.
‘I think it would be difficult for any mother, nobody wants to go to war, people have children they have families.
“But every minute you feel more and more ready we don’t have time to really think about our mental well-being that will come later.”
Sirens blared in Jerusalem as explosions were heard in the holy city on Monday as Israel ordered a ‘total siege’ on Gaza in retaliation for the unprecedented attack seen by Hamas over the weekend.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant officially announced the blockade of the besieged enclave, saying authorities would cut electricity and prevent the entry of food and fuel.
‘No electricity, no food, no fuel. We are fighting animals, and we will act accordingly,’ he said.
Hamas launched salvos at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, while rockets continued to rain down on the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon.
About 9 Americans have died in the atrocities as the death toll rises to nearly 1,300 since the fighting broke out.
A Hamas fighter poses with an elderly female hostage, who may have reduced mental capacity, after he forced her to hold a gun
Student Noa Argamani (left) sits on the back of a terrorist’s motorcycle and pleads for her life as she is kidnapped and her boyfriend (right) is led away by the gang of militants
Palestinians transport a captured Israeli citizen, center, from Kibbutz Kfar Azza to the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The militants kidnapped dozens, if not hundreds, of hostages
“At this time, we can confirm the deaths of nine American citizens,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
“We can confirm that there are undeclared US citizens, and we are working with our Israeli partners to determine their whereabouts,” he added.
The Americans killed in the conflict that began over the weekend have yet to be identified by officials in the United States.
US airlines have suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have also issued travel waivers allowing passengers scheduled to fly to and from Israel to rebook. United’s waiver also covers flights to and from Amman, Jordan.
“We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as necessary,” American said in a statement.
Delta said it is working with the U.S. government to repatriate U.S. citizens from Israel.