“Something is changing”
Israel allows women to fight in the Gaza Strip for the first time
January 24, 2024, 4:06 p.m
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Medic or radio operator have long been the typical female tasks in the Israeli army. However, many now want to join the combat units. Now some of them are already being deployed in the Gaza Strip.
With her assault rifle, Marom runs through the desert on the border between Israel and Egypt. On this day it’s just training, but until recently the 21-year-old fought in the Gaza Strip. It was the first time that female soldiers were involved in combat in the Palestinian territory – a sign of the growing importance of women in the Israeli army.
“Something is changing, acceptance of girls in combat is increasing,” says Marom, who, like her comrades, only gives her first name. Marom is a member of the Bardelas Battalion and has just completed a two-week deployment to Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip.
The war against the terrorist organization Hamas has shown that women can play a greater role in the fight, said Schana, the battalion commander, at the meeting in the desert organized for journalists. “At first the men look a little strange when a ponytail peeks out from under their helmet,” says the 23-year-old. “But we have trained, we are ready for anything.” Schana says she is very proud that her battalion is involved in the war against Hamas.
“Everything is destroyed”
Since the brutal attack on October 7, in which Hamas killed around 1,140 people, Israel has been waging war with the aim of destroying the terrorist organization and freeing the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. According to Hamas, 25,700 Palestinians were killed, mostly women and children. According to the UN, 2.4 million people had to flee and people were starving and freezing.
“We want to protect the civilians in the Gaza Strip as much as possible, but it’s war,” says Marom. “Everything is destroyed.” In Khan Yunis, the soldiers said they discovered a Hamas tunnel.
In October, media reports sparked outrage that the military leadership ignored warnings from young women standing guard along the Gaza border in the months before the Hamas attack. “That was a big mistake and I don’t know how it happened,” says soldier Eliora. But now, after months of war, women in the army are being taken more seriously, soldiers say.
Even before the founding of Israel in 1948, women played an important role in the Hagana, the Jewish underground army. Today Israel is one of the few countries in the world where women are also subject to military service. Their military service lasts two years; men have to serve in the army for eight months longer.
More and more people want to join the combat units
Medic or radio operator were long typical female roles in the army, but women are now allowed to serve in almost all areas, including some combat units. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of women in combat units increased by 350 percent, according to data from the think tank Israel Democracy Institute. Overall, their share of combat troops is only 20 percent, according to a 2022 report by the INSS think tank.
More and more friends are showing interest in the army, says Marom. “And more and more want to join the combat units when they turn 18.” Will she stay in the military after the war? Marom doesn’t want to speculate about that yet: “If we win this war – and we will win it – then there will be time to plan the rest of our lives.”