At least 100 Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldiers and reservists have left the United Kingdom to join their units in Israel in the wake of Saturday’s massive terrorist attack, as the IDF masses in apparent preparation to launch a counter-invasion of Gaza.
Israeli soldiers either living in or visiting the United Kingdom are responding to a general mobilisation for IDF reservists after Hamas killed at least 1,300 Israelis in a coordinated strike of rockets, drones, and armed incursions on Saturday. The Daily Telegraph cites a statement by the Israeli embassy in London which said “at least 100 reservists and active duty soldiers have gone back to Israel from the UK to serve in the IDF”.
Those travelling from Britain, some of whom will be dual citizens, are among thousands travelling to Israel this week to join the mammoth mobilisation of some 360,000 IDF reserves after the attack, equivalent to roughly four per cent of the whole population of the country.
The volume of those travelling is so considerable, and the urgency so great, that Israeli national airline El Al is suspending its long-held rule of observing the Shabbat and not flying from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday to bring more reservists back. As noted by Reuters, the airline was given permission to break the rule by rabbis “who said that preservation of life overrode other religious laws”.
The flights, going from New York, Bangkok, and Madrid will be free of charge for called-up reservists and will be funded by the airline and donations from “financial institutions in the United States”.
As previously reported, returning reservists have been feted with singing and dancing as they landed back in Israel at Bun Gurion airport.