Temima Silver is waiting for the call to report for duty in the Israeli military.

Born and raised in Ottawa, the 21-year-old moved to Israel in 2020 to join the Israel Defense Forces. Released from service last year, Silver said she recently responded to a call asking members of her former platoon to voluntarily return to duty after Hamas attacked Israel on Saturday.

Hundreds of people, including young children, were killed in the attacks, whose targets included a music festival and communal farming settlements. B次元官网网址淲hat else is there to do but go out and fight?B次元官网网址� Silver asked.

Israeli-Canadian reservists like her say theyB次元官网网址檙e volunteering because they believe itB次元官网网址檚 the right thing to do, even though theyB次元官网网址檙e not looking forward to combat.

B次元官网网址淚f you donB次元官网网址檛 believe that this will succeed, then you donB次元官网网址檛 believe that you see a tomorrow for future generations of Israel, of Jews, of your brothers and sisters. There is no choice,B次元官网网址� she said in an interview Wednesday.

Silver decided to stay in Israel after she left the military and now lives near Tel Aviv. She said she believes success in IsraelB次元官网网址檚 war with Hamas will involve freeing the more than 150 hostages held by militant groups, as well as ensuring the safety of Israelis.

B次元官网网址淲ar is not a pretty thing. Even though I served in the army and I served as a combat soldier, IB次元官网网址檓 not sitting here happy that weB次元官网网址檙e going to war,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a horrifying thing. It takes resources, it takes lives, it takes pain and it takes from peopleB次元官网网址檚 hearts.B次元官网网址�

Silver said she moved to Israel as a B次元官网网址渓one soldierB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� someone from another country who doesnB次元官网网址檛 have family in Israel B次元官网网址� after seeing antisemitic incidents in her high school. Since moving to the Jewish state, she said she has felt a sense of belonging and that she doesnB次元官网网址檛 have to be afraid because she is Jewish.

Josephine Buchman, who immigrated to Canada from Israel in 2012 and now lives in the Toronto area, worked in recruitment during her military service in Israel and was never a member of the reserves. She said Israelis overseas arenB次元官网网址檛 required to return to service if theyB次元官网网址檙e called up, but many are returning all the same.

And other Israelis who live abroad are finding different ways to help, she said. Buchman said she is raising money for a paratrooper unit in Israel. With more than 360,000 reservists called up, there is a shortage of bulletproof vests, boots and tactical equipment, she said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 happy for my children that weB次元官网网址檙e not there, but IB次元官网网址檓 so torn because all my family, my friends, people I grew up with, theyB次元官网网址檙e all there,B次元官网网址� she said Thursday. B次元官网网址淪o you feel like you canB次元官网网址檛 do anything, and itB次元官网网址檚 driving you crazy.B次元官网网址�

Noy Leyb, who grew up in Calgary but now lives in New York, said he got on the first flight he could to Israel after he heard about the Hamas attacks in order to return to the army, where he has served as a paratrooper. B次元官网网址淏efore my unit even contacted me I bought a plane ticket home,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview Wednesday.

Leyb left Canada in 2009, at 18, to join the Israeli army. Since finishing active service, he said he has continued to return to Israel to train as a reservist once or twice a year. He said he arrived in Israel on Sunday evening and reported for duty the next morning.

B次元官网网址淣o oneB次元官网网址檚 looking forward. No one wants to really be here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut we have people killing us, we have people torturing us, we have people kidnapping us and doing things that even ISIS didnB次元官网网址檛 do to us. So we donB次元官网网址檛 want to be here, but we have to be here.B次元官网网址�

For Leyb, victory will be the total destruction of Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since seizing power in 2007.

B次元官网网址淔or me, for many others, victory would be not taking off our uniform until every last member of Hamas is gone, every single last member, and that Gaza will become a different place, not led by terrorists, not led by people who call for the destruction of Israel,B次元官网网址� he said.

Leyb said the Israeli military takes many steps to avoid civilian casualties, and while he acknowledges civilians will die in the conflict, he blames that on Hamas, which the Canadian government lists as a terrorist organization.

B次元官网网址淗amas is putting their people here, theyB次元官网网址檙e using them as human shields B次元官网网址�. Unfortunately, on both sides, there are civilian casualties. WeB次元官网网址檙e not going to let Hamas walk all over us, weB次元官网网址檙e going to stand and weB次元官网网址檙e going to defend and thatB次元官网网址檚 a part of war.B次元官网网址�

While Silver said she sees nuance in the broader conflict between Israel and Palestine, describing it as a situation that isnB次元官网网址檛 black and white, she said the recent assault by Hamas was a brutal terrorist attack that took innocent lives.

B次元官网网址淭his specific attack doesnB次元官网网址檛 get more black and white,B次元官网网址� she said.

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