Major (res.) Eli, a unit commander in the 28th Battalion, spoke to Arutz Sheva – Israel National News – on the intensive military offensive after 100 days of fighting
“You say 100 days and you suddenly realize that it is a lot of time – but it doesn’t feel that it is that long," Major Eli says. "We set off on this military campaign out of a sense of panic and urgency, and from that same feeling on the first day, we are still here now. Time is passing quickly for us. We are doing quite a few things, but our heart is with those inside and we need to release them."
"We understand what we are doing and why we are doing it, and we are also looking into the future on behalf of the people of Israel. There is no sense of a show-off war or just some quick battle. This is a war that was forced upon us and we must ensure significant achievements so that this does not happen again and again," he added.
According to him, "We are in a campaign that has complex and heavy prices. We have many dead and wounded as well as the heavy price that we all paid at the beginning. There are of course also the prices of being away from home for over 100 days. Of course, all our careers have been stalled, but ultimately, with the complexities, we all understand why we are here."
Major Eli mentioned the feelings between the soldiers and the strength it gives each one of them. "This is a brave group that is really united most unbelievably and totally focused on our mission. The atmosphere is wonderful and it is amazing to see it – both in regard to maintaining our routine and in the operational activities. We are a regiment of lions."
"I'm not fully aware of what's going on outside, but I do know that we understand what we're doing, and that everything we do is promoting the goal. We're also clear that there's no quick job to be done here. We have to put in a lot of effort. We're here and we're privileged to be those who are defending our country."
Finally, he spoke about the divisive arguments and political quarrels that he encounters at home. "It's not so clear to me why this is happening. We have all been reminded that there is so much more that unites us than separates us. I see how everyone is together here, and I have no doubt that the social discourse will also change the day after, there is much, much more that unites us."