EXCLUSIVE The air hostess, the trainee vet and the restaurant manager dreaming of running her own brasserie in London who are among the thousands of Israeli volunteer soldiers poised for battle with Hamas in Gaza
A flight attendant and a research scientist are among hundreds of thousands of volunteer soldiers bracing for Israel’s battle with Hamas fanatics in Gaza.
The Israeli Reserve Army soldiers grabbed a cup of coffee and a hot snack as their units stopped at a gas station on the way to the border with the Palestinian enclave.
The men and women have all completed their mandatory 32 months of military service, but they are being called upon to take up arms to defend the Jewish state in times of crisis.
“I am a flight attendant for the Israeli airline El Al,” Tamar, 22, from Tel Aviv, told MailOnline. ‘I usually work on flights to Europe and North America. But now I’m back in the army. I’m a lieutenant. This is my first combat mission, but I am ready to defend Israel.”
Tamar, 22, from Tel Aviv, normally a flight attendant for Israeli airline El Al – now she’s ready to fight Hamas in Gaza
Ben, 24, from Tel Aviv, with Noa, 23, restaurant manager from Batan Hefer, relaxing with the automatic rifles around them as they prepare for war
Eden, 27, a vet in training from Tel Aviv, is one of thousands of military reserves mobilized in Israel
The Israeli Reserve Army near Gaza takes a break from their duties to relax and grab food before returning to their duties in the area. Photo shows: (L-R back row) Alice, 20, Avrama, 21 Ali, 21 all from Jerusalem, and front Shoham, 21
Research scientist Jonathan, 32, from Haifa, spends most of his time looking at human evolution through a microscope.
But for the past week he has been in the sand defending Israel’s border with Lebanon from attack. Now he is part of the strike force that will enter Gaza to destroy Hamas.
Jonathan, whose mother is from Melbourne, Australia, told MailOnline: ‘Like everyone else here I’m in the Army Reserve. Last Saturday I got a call. My unit was sent to the border with Lebanon.
‘The conditions were tough. We slept outside on the sand. We only had ration packs to eat – and donations from locals.
Alice, 20, and Ali, 21, both from Jerusalem, are part of the mass of mobilized army reserves
Karen, 28, a trainee lawyer from Emek, relaxes during a break before returning to operations
Alice, 20, with Ali, 21, both from Jerusalem, giggle while having a drink at a local coffee shop
Reserve troops have responded to Israel’s call in their thousands, flying from all over the world. The photo shows soldiers in Tel Aviv taking a break from their duties to get some food and coffee
Noa, 23, is a restaurant manager from Batan. Hefer dreams of running a brasserie in London
“Now we’re going to Gaza.”
Women fight alongside men in this force of one and a half million people, which supports Israel’s full-time army. And the range of soldiers’ ages and occupations makes the units operate more like a family than a platoon, recruits say.
Shoham, 22, from Jerusalem, told MailOnline: ‘Having female comrades makes the army stronger. There’s less testosterone, it’s less intense, we’re more of a family. I call my commander ‘mother’.”
The volunteers have to put their normal lives on hold when they are called upon.
Trainee veterinarian Eden, 27, from Tel Aviv – who holds the rank of captain – relies on her mother to care for the injured dogs and cats she has taken in.
Veterinarian Eden, 27, from Tel Aviv – who holds the rank of captain – relies on her mother to care for the injured dogs and cats she has taken in
Tamar, 22, from Tel Aviv, is a flight attendant. She holds the rank of lieutenant in the Israeli army
Other Israeli forces have let off steam by posting videos to TikTok
All reserve forces have served in the Israeli army for at least 32 months (pictured, soldiers are relaxing in Tel Aviv
The volunteers must put their normal lives on hold when called to serve (reservists pictured taking a break from their duties ahead of an expected ground invasion of Gaza)
Restaurant manager Noa dreams of running a brasserie in London. But for now, she’s donned her combat gear and is heading to the front lines.
The 23-year-old from Bat Hefer told MailOnline: ‘One day I want to live and work in London. But for now I have to fight for my homeland, fight for Israel.”