The Israeli government has summoned roughly 360,000 reservists to the front lines as the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) continues to push into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The deployment represents the first combat in which reserve forces have been used since the invasion of Southern Lebanon more than 40 years ago.
The forces, comprised almost entirely of civilians and students, have been sent by the IDF to reinforce the country’s northern border with Lebanon, assist other units in the West Bank, and support intelligence and logistics.
Several divisions have also been tasked with going house to house in Gaza City in an effort to find and destroy the vast chain of tunnels built by Hamas. It is estimated the total daily cost of the reservist deployment is a staggering £200 million ($250 million).
One Israeli Colonel, known as “G,” explains, “Reservists do things differently… We’re not as well trained with the new systems or as fast as the conscripts when we turn up. But when we get going, we’re better. We bring all our experience and thoroughness to the job.”
“Without reservists, the IDF cannot fulfil its mission,” says Benny Ben Ari, The IDF’s chief reverse corps officer.
The deployment forms part of Israel’s objective to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas by launching a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza. Yet, a large number of the group’s leaders do not reside in the Gaza Strip but rather in Doha, Qatar.
