Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday during a visit to the Air Force command and control center that the Hezbollah terrorist army “has begun to experience the effect of our capabilities; they sense they are being pursued.”
Gallant made the comment while touring the facility, where he was briefed by Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar on the air force readiness for both defense and offensive actions.
“I came to see the IAF’s activities up close,” Gallant told reporters. “The result is extremely impressive in both defense and offense, at all levels. Hezbollah has begun experiencing the impact of the IDF’s capabilities, and they sense that they are being pursued,” he said.
“Activities will continue until we reach a point where we may ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes. This is our goal, this is our mission, and we will employ the means necessary to achieve it,” Gallant pledged.
He thanked the air force personnel “for what you do” and expressed appreciation to the reservists “who take on every important task here, and have been bearing the burden since the start of the war.”
The appreciation was not misplaced: there are thousands of Israeli reservists who have been in the field and at their bases since the start of the war more than 11 months ago. These reservists have seen their families for fleeting visits, usually for a Shabbat and possibly one additional day but not more before they return to their posts.
Many reservists are married with children; the wife of one reservist who requested anonymity told JewishPress.com that her 20-month-old daughter “cries whenever her father puts on his green uniform, because she already knows that when her father wears his uniform, it means he is going away.”
Families of active duty reservists throughout Israel have reported increased anxiety and clinginess in their children; sometimes the wives experience increased anxiety as well.
There has also been a sharp increase in anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and other psychotropic medication prescription written for Israelis since the start of the war. That having been said, studies have shown that Israeli are nevertheless extremely resilient and have been coping well with the stress of living through a year-long multi-front war.
