Ezra Yatzin (95), an elderly Israeli man who volunteered to join the army. /X (old Twitter)
As the fighting between the Palestinian armed faction Hamas and Israel enters its sixth day, Israel has begun mobilizing reserve forces by introducing additional flights. Israel has reportedly called up about 360,000 reserve forces to date. Among these, it is reported that some Israelis are voluntarily enlisting despite being well over the reserve military service age.
According to the British Mirror on the 10th (local time), Ezra Yachin, a 95-year-old Israeli, also picked up a gun to join the military. In a photo of Yaqin released by local media, he is white-haired, wearing a military uniform, and holding a gun in his hand.
He is said to have worked as a combat soldier in the paramilitary organization ‘Lehi’ before the founding of the State of Israel. He is raising the morale of his troops by sharing his past experiences, sending the message to soldiers, “Don’t give up even now,” the media reported.
According to the Washington Post (WP), Israeli businessman Noam Ranir (56) is also not eligible for the reserve forces, but volunteered to enlist with his two sons. He told WP, “I lost my father, my uncle, and my cousin in the Yom Kippur War (the fourth Middle East war in 1973). “Now is the time for me to step forward,” he said.
The media said, “During the Yom Kippur War, approximately 400,000 reserve forces were called up. “This is the largest mobilization in Israel since then.” In general, all Israelis are required to serve compulsorily when they turn 18. The upper age limit for reservists is 40 years old.
Israeli authorities said that the speed of call-up of reserve forces was much faster than during the Yom Kippur War. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said that 300,000 reservists were called up in just 48 hours, adding, “We have never mobilized so many reservists so quickly.” In addition, it has been calculated that approximately 360,000 reserve forces have been called up so far due to the allocation of additional flights.
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2023-10-11 22:24:42
