Yonatan Bunzel News Today

Across the globe, Israeli citizens are receiving call-ups to reserve military service after Hamas’ attacks last weekend. Leaving their studies, careers, and family behind, many say they felt a duty to protect their homeland.

Some were on their honeymoon, others were studying abroad, many were building new lives in foreign countries. Israel has called up 360,000 reservists in the wake of Saturday's assault by hundreds of Hamas gunmen who overran towns, kibbutzes and army bases near the Gaza enclave, killing more than 1,200 civilians and soldiers and wounding over 2,700. Most reservists were already in Israel at the time of the call-up - the largest such compulsory mobilisation since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Israel has called up 360,000 reservists in response to the recent Hamas attack. Many reservists were already in Israel, but others were out of the country for various reasons and dropped everything to return. Israeli consulates provided free trips home, and Israeli airlines added flights on foreign routes to bring people back.