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. 害羞草研究所淲hat else is there to do but go out and fight?害羞草研究所� Silver asked.

Israeli-Canadian reservists like her say they害羞草研究所檙e volunteering because they believe it害羞草研究所檚 the right thing to do, even though they害羞草研究所檙e not looking forward to combat.

害羞草研究所淚f you don害羞草研究所檛 believe that this will succeed, then you don害羞草研究所檛 believe that you see a tomorrow for future generations of Israel, of Jews, of your brothers and sisters. There is no choice,害羞草研究所� 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 Israel害羞草研究所檚 war with Hamas will involve freeing the more than 150 hostages held by militant groups, as well as ensuring the safety of Israelis.

害羞草研究所淲ar is not a pretty thing. Even though I served in the army and I served as a combat soldier, I害羞草研究所檓 not sitting here happy that we害羞草研究所檙e going to war,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a horrifying thing. It takes resources, it takes lives, it takes pain and it takes from people害羞草研究所檚 hearts.害羞草研究所�

Silver said she moved to Israel as a 害羞草研究所渓one soldier害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� someone from another country who doesn害羞草研究所檛 have family in Israel 害羞草研究所� 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 doesn害羞草研究所檛 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 aren害羞草研究所檛 required to return to service if they害羞草研究所檙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.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 happy for my children that we害羞草研究所檙e not there, but I害羞草研究所檓 so torn because all my family, my friends, people I grew up with, they害羞草研究所檙e all there,害羞草研究所� she said Thursday. 害羞草研究所淪o you feel like you can害羞草研究所檛 do anything, and it害羞草研究所檚 driving you crazy.害羞草研究所�

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. 害羞草研究所淏efore my unit even contacted me I bought a plane ticket home,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淣o one害羞草研究所檚 looking forward. No one wants to really be here,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut we have people killing us, we have people torturing us, we have people kidnapping us and doing things that even ISIS didn害羞草研究所檛 do to us. So we don害羞草研究所檛 want to be here, but we have to be here.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淔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,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淗amas is putting their people here, they害羞草研究所檙e using them as human shields 害羞草研究所�. Unfortunately, on both sides, there are civilian casualties. We害羞草研究所檙e not going to let Hamas walk all over us, we害羞草研究所檙e going to stand and we害羞草研究所檙e going to defend and that害羞草研究所檚 a part of war.害羞草研究所�

While Silver said she sees nuance in the broader conflict between Israel and Palestine, describing it as a situation that isn害羞草研究所檛 black and white, she said the recent assault by Hamas was a brutal terrorist attack that took innocent lives.

害羞草研究所淭his specific attack doesn害羞草研究所檛 get more black and white,害羞草研究所� she said.

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