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Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Israeli reservists answer the call despite challenges
RAMAT GAN: Reservist Haim Halevi had to quit his job and leave his young son behind to fight in Gaza, but still felt "proud" to serve after his third call-up in 18 months. Israel's military is activating tens of thousands of reservists for its expanded offensive in Gaza, which it says is aimed at defeating Hamas militants in the Palestinian territory. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite professional, mental and family challenges, most reservists continue to turn up to fight in a war now in its 20th month. "No one is forcing me... I'm proud to defend my country," said Halevi, a 35-year-old father of two and non-commissioned officer in a combat unit. He has served more than 200 days since the war began. Reservists serve on a voluntary basis in Israel, and 75 percent have responded positively to the call, according to a report presented to parliament. The army says approximately 295,000 soldiers have been called up since the war began on October 7, 2023 with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel. Overall, the reservists have served an average of 61 days a year, compared with just eight pre-war. Combat units like Halevi's often serve longer stints. Halevi described himself as a "patriot", but also spoke of the difficulties of returning to the front. Like many reservists, on the morning of October 7 he rushed to the area around Gaza to help repel the Hamas attack, even before receiving a call-up. He was then deployed to the Gaza Strip when Israeli ground operations started, and spent almost five months fighting there. Support fund Halevi had to leave his job in IT and regrets not seeing his son, now two, grow up. "I left when he was six months old, and when I came back he already had teeth and hair," he said. His upcoming redeployment is also complicating major life events like a move and plans to start a business, but "there's nothing you can do about it", he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "If everyone says it's not the right time for them, who will serve in the reserves?" Every one of his deployments is an ordeal for his wife Michal, 29, who said she dreads his next departure in mid-July. "I'll be alone with two small children -- everything will fall on me," she said. She "got used to the lack of sleep" caring for their son on her own. "But being alone in the evenings, it was hard. It was really hard." Halevi's last tour ended six months ago, with the birth of the couple's daughter. The government recently voted to create a fund of three billion shekels (more than $840 million) to support reservists. "Those who give everything to the state, we must give everything to them," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. But some reservists say the support does not address the roots of the financial hardship they face. A recent Direct Polls survey found that 68 percent of respondents felt the government was not doing enough to support reservists. And while most, like Halevi, have continued to respond positively to call-ups, increasing numbers are refusing. Anti-war group Last week, in a rare case, a reservist who had reportedly already served more than 200 days was given 20 days in military prison for refusing to return over his moral objection to the Gaza war. While the army does not provide details about such refusals, reservists online have called for an end to the war, or at least for the army to stop tapping the same troops for repeated stints. A member of an anti-war reservist group, who gave his name as Stav, told AFP at an event in support of the jailed man that "more and more soldiers are joining us". He called refusal a "patriotic act as an Israeli who believes in the future of this country". A study by Polly Labs, in conjunction with NGOs, showed that the difficulties reservists and their families face are only getting worse. Based on surveys of more than 2,300 reservist spouses, it found 45 percent of reservists and 68 percent of their spouses reported experiencing emotional distress since the war started. Money problems also affect many, with 47 percent citing daily difficulties and 72 percent of the self-employed reporting direct financial losses. "I am aware of the weight of the mission, the responsibility and the burden we are placing on you and your families," army chief Eyal Zamir told reservists at a base in mid-May. Halevi, meanwhile, has created an internet platform, Milnik, which aims to connect donors with reservists in need. "I am proud of him and I support him, but it's difficult," his wife said.
Arab News
14-02-2025
- Arab News
Hostages freed from Gaza painfully piece together a changed world
RAMAT GAN, Israel: After 484 days of captivity in Gaza, Keith Siegel had many questions. Was his 97-year-old mother still alive? Which of his neighbors was killed in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack? Why did it take so long to free him? With minimal access to media, the dual American-Israeli citizen only learned months after he was captured that his son had survived the attack that launched the war in Gaza. He had heard that his family and others' were advocating for hostages' freedom. But beyond that, he knew very little about life outside his confines in Gaza. 'He really wanted to know everything as soon as possible, just to put all the question marks away and to know what happened,' said his daughter, Elan Siegel. Hostages freed as part of a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza are confronting a flood of information about loved ones and destroyed communities, and are still figuring out their place in a changed world. Their families are grappling with how to fill them in on what they missed without potentially deepening their trauma. Experts say it is important to be cautious. 'The information is definitely traumatic so you have to really be sensitive, careful and monitor the pace in which you expose the information,' said Einat Yehene, who heads the rehabilitation division at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Paraded by Hamas, then by shattered reality For many freed captives, catching up has been excruciating. Eli Sharabi, 52, had no exposure to media during his 16-month ordeal, according to his brother, Sharon Sharabi. Forced to speak at a staged Hamas ceremony before his release, a gaunt Sharabi told a crowd of masked militants and journalists that he was looking forward to seeing his wife and two teenage daughters back in Israel. Then he learned the crushing reality shortly after his arrival in Israel: all three had been killed at home during the Oct. 7 attack. 'Beyond the emotional burden and difficult experiences he faced in captivity, he had to bear this horrible loss on the first day that he left from there,' his brother told Israeli Army Radio. Or Levy, 34, was dealt a similar blow upon being freed. That is when he learned that his wife, Einav, was killed on Oct. 7. 'For 491 days, he held onto hope that he would return to her,' his brother, Michael Levy, told reporters. Levy was reunited with his young son, who hit key developmental milestones, like being potty trained, while his father was in captivity. 'It took you a long time to come back,' the 3-year-old told his father, according to Israeli media. Facing uncertainty even after being freed The first person Keith Siegel asked about upon returning home was his mother, Gladys. When his wife's eyes welled up, he immediately understood she had died, his daughter recounted. Siegel picked up some information about his family while in captivity. Months into the war, he heard his daughter on the radio, speaking about how his son had survived Hamas' attack. Other freed hostages have also reported hearing messages from their families through the news media. Yarden Bibas, who was freed earlier this month, was told by his captors that his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were dead. But he was also told they were spotted in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media. Now that he is out, he still lacks clarity. They remain in Gaza, and the Israeli government has said it has 'serious concern' for their lives. A relentless need to know more Beyond their personal lives, freed hostages are also taking in more than a year's worth of world events: President Donald Trump is back in the White House; Israel and Iran engaged in their first direct attacks; Israel killed the longtime chief of the militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. Keith Siegel's family is sharing information sparingly, as one might with a child. 'You answer only what he asks and not more than that,' his daughter, Elan, said. But the questions are relentless. Siegel wanted to know what happened to his community of Kfar Aza. Was anyone watering the plants? Who was killed in Hamas' attack? 'We asked him if he's sure that he's ready. And he said 'yes,' that he just wants to know. So I read him the list of 64 people' who were killed, his daughter said. She said his reaction to the news has been muted because 'it's almost like he forgot how to feel' while in captivity. Siegel's photo has been a mainstay at protests and on banners highlighting the plight of hostages, making him recognizable across Israel. Ahead of his release, dozens of Israelis posted videos of themselves on social media making his favorite pancake recipe. Siegel's wife, Aviva, who was freed from captivity in the early weeks of the war, prepared a book for him that includes notes from the important figures she had lobbied on his behalf — from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to former US President Joe Biden. Siegel was especially befuddled by the revelation that world leaders knew about his captivity. His daughter, Elan, recalled him saying: 'If they knew, how can it be that I was there for so long?'
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hostages freed from Gaza painfully piece together a changed world
RAMAT GAN, Israel (AP) — After 484 days of captivity in Gaza, Keith Siegel had many questions. Was his 97-year-old mother still alive? Which of his neighbors was killed in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack? Why did it take so long to free him? With minimal access to media, the dual American-Israeli citizen only learned months after he was captured that his son had survived the attack that launched the war in Gaza. He had heard that his family and others' were advocating for hostages' freedom. But beyond that, he knew very little about life outside his confines in Gaza. 'He really wanted to know everything as soon as possible, just to put all the question marks away and to know what happened,' said his daughter, Elan Siegel. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Hostages freed as part of a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza are confronting a flood of information about loved ones and destroyed communities, and are still figuring out their place in a changed world. Their families are grappling with how to fill them in on what they missed without potentially deepening their trauma. Experts say it is important to be cautious. 'The information is definitely traumatic so you have to really be sensitive, careful and monitor the pace in which you expose the information,' said Einat Yehene, who heads the rehabilitation division at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Paraded by Hamas, then by shattered reality For many freed captives, catching up has been excruciating. Eli Sharabi, 52, had no exposure to media during his 16-month ordeal, according to his brother, Sharon Sharabi. Forced to speak at a staged Hamas ceremony before his release, a gaunt Sharabi told a crowd of masked militants and journalists that he was looking forward to seeing his wife and two teenage daughters back in Israel. Then he learned the crushing reality shortly after his arrival in Israel: all three had been killed at home during the Oct. 7 attack. 'Beyond the emotional burden and difficult experiences he faced in captivity, he had to bear this horrible loss on the first day that he left from there,' his brother told Israeli Army Radio. Or Levy, 34, was dealt a similar blow upon being freed. That is when he learned that his wife, Einav, was killed on Oct. 7. 'For 491 days, he held onto hope that he would return to her,' his brother, Michael Levy, told reporters. Levy was reunited with his young son, who hit key developmental milestones, like being potty trained, while his father was in captivity. 'It took you a long time to come back,' the 3-year-old told his father, according to Israeli media. Facing uncertainty even after being freed The first person Keith Siegel asked about upon returning home was his mother, Gladys. When his wife's eyes welled up, he immediately understood she had died, his daughter recounted. Siegel picked up some information about his family while in captivity. Months into the war, he heard his daughter on the radio, speaking about how his son had survived Hamas' attack. Other freed hostages have also reported hearing messages from their families through the news media. Yarden Bibas, who was freed earlier this month, was told by his captors that his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were dead. But he was also told they were spotted in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media. Now that he is out, he still lacks clarity. They remain in Gaza, and the Israeli government has said it has 'serious concern' for their lives. A relentless need to know more Beyond their personal lives, freed hostages are also taking in more than a year's worth of world events: President Donald Trump is back in the White House; Israel and Iran engaged in their first direct attacks; Israel killed the longtime chief of the militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. Keith Siegel's family is sharing information sparingly, as one might with a child. 'You answer only what he asks and not more than that,' his daughter, Elan, said. But the questions are relentless. Siegel wanted to know what happened to his community of Kfar Aza. Was anyone watering the plants? Who was killed in Hamas' attack? 'We asked him if he's sure that he's ready. And he said 'yes,' that he just wants to know. So I read him the list of 64 people" who were killed, his daughter said. She said his reaction to the news has been muted because 'it's almost like he forgot how to feel' while in captivity. Siegel's photo has been a mainstay at protests and on banners highlighting the plight of hostages, making him recognizable across Israel. Ahead of his release, dozens of Israelis posted videos of themselves on social media making his favorite pancake recipe. Siegel's wife, Aviva, who was freed from captivity in the early weeks of the war, prepared a book for him that includes notes from the important figures she had lobbied on his behalf — from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to former U.S. President Joe Biden. Siegel was especially befuddled by the revelation that world leaders knew about his captivity. His daughter, Elan, recalled him saying: "If they knew, how can it be that I was there for so long?'
Washington Post
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Hostages freed from Gaza painfully piece together a changed world
RAMAT GAN, Israel — After 484 days of captivity in Gaza, Keith Siegel had many questions. Was his 97-year-old mother still alive? Which of his neighbors was killed in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack? Why did it take so long to free him? With minimal access to media, the dual American-Israeli citizen only learned months after he was captured that his son had survived the attack that launched the war in Gaza . He had heard that his family and others' were advocating for hostages' freedom. But beyond that, he knew very little about life outside his confines in Gaza.
