(NewsNation) — Israel has drafted 300,000 reservists in response to a multi-front Hamas attack from Gaza and is “going on the offensive,” the military spokesperson said.
On Monday, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson, said control of those communities had been re-established but that isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.
India Naftali, whose husband was called to the front lines of war, told NewsNation she doesn’t know where her husband is and she doesn’t have full communication with him.
We don’t have contact, I personally do not have full contact with my husband right now. I do not know where he is,” Naftali said. The Home Front Command is doing its best. But because of the mass scale of just what is happening — there are thousands of families that are trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to their loved ones.
Naftali said it’s in the hands of the citizens to find the people who are lost.
“We are sharing images on social media because maybe somebody has seen them,” she explained. “So that’s kind of a grassroots movement that’s happening in Israel, we’re just sharing photos and asking, have you seen them? Have you seen my daughter? Have you seen my son?
Naftali has also shared her family’s story and documented her husband’s experience fighting against Hamas on social media.
Journalist Meir Cohen, who has been drafted from Israel reserves, told NewsNation that he’s determined to win back their safety and strike Hamas back as fast as possible.
“I feel terrible. I feel angry, and humiliated, even, and I’m mostly determined,” Cohen said. “I believe, like everyone else around me right now, to try and bring back safety as much as possible, as fast as possible, and to strike Hamas back and to bring back the hostages as fast as we can.”
Cohen added that the Israeli military needs more direction from the government to be successful in the strike against Hamas.
“This was just a surprise attack, and I don’t believe we were ready enough,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t have the tools and we can’t really fight, because we can, we just need the right commands, and I think, to be more directed to know exactly what we need to do, and then we can definitely do it.”
Cohen said he has been in communication with his wife, who is a nurse, and she’s working in the hospital treating patients. He said his kids are with his neighbors and his family is taking care of them.
“The community is always very, very strong, because of their sense of community, the sense of camaraderie, and the Israeli society is very, very powerful and strong,” Cohen said. “And whenever something like this happens, we come together as a society, and it’s something something beautiful to see.”
Military officials had previously said that their focus was on securing Israel’s side of the border before carrying out any major escalation of the counter-offensive in Gaza.
Hagari said 300,000 reservists have been called up by the military since Saturday, a number suggesting preparations for a possible invasion – though any such plans have not been officially confirmed.
Hagari confirmed media reports that 700 people had been killed on Israel’s side of the border, including 73 confirmed members of the security forces. He said Israel’s military had killed hundreds of Palestinian gunmen.
Reuters contributed to this story.