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GENERAL INTEREST STORY

ON THE

Front A Lone

Soldier’s
First-Hand
Photo: Israel Defense Forces Line Account

of Operation
Guardian of

the Walls

B eing at the front lines of the conflict When we weren’t in konenut, ready to jet.” After a few moments, I realized that
was a life-changing experience. No
respond to an incident, we did guard duty
this glimmer of light was heading right
around the base. Ordinarily, guarding is
matter how much training I went
in my direction. The light grew and grew,
through, I never could have imag-
monotonous. You stand at a post and do
approaching at a rapid pace and suddenly
little to nothing. But during Shomer HaCho-
ined myself in a war zone by the
I knew it was a mortar. I could have sworn
Gaza border.
that, mortars were falling all around us and
later, I heard a thundering boom and saw a
My friends and I were stationed next to a mot, we had to remain vigilant. On top of that it had my name written on it. A moment
flicker in the sky: Iron Dome had intercepted
we had five seconds to run into a shelter
Kibbutz on the Gaza Strip when Operation after the sirens were sounded. yet another rocket.
Shomer HaChomot – Guardian of the Walls –
broke out. We were there primarily to react Since our bomb shelters were not entirely Another time, we were asked to deliver sup-
as first-responders in the event of an intru- closed off like the civilian ones, we were able plies to the troops in the shetach – on the
ground. Many of the roads in the area were
to watch the aerial attacks transpire like a
sion by terrorist forces. Groups like Hamas live-action war film. There were multiple exposed to the Gaza Strip and our enemies
were attempting to breach the border and times when I watched a small glimmer in were waiting for the perfect opportunity to
inflict harm. We were there to make sure the dark night sky zoom above. “A shooting blow up an Israeli vehicle like ours. We just
this wouldn’t happen. star!” I thought. “Perhaps an F-15 fighter so happened to be delivering gasoline and
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