'Goodbye to my wife India': Israeli journalist bids farewell to serve in military amid war with Hamas

Israeli journalist Hananya Naftali, known for his extensive follower base on X platform (formerly Twitter), was conscripted by the Israeli military as it wages a massive war against Hamas. Prior to his departure, he shared a heartfelt goodbye to his wife, India Naftali, which has touched the hearts of netizens globally.

He posted a picture of himself embracing his wife, India Naftali. In the accompanying caption, he shared that due to his upcoming absence, his profile will be managed by his wife. Hamas on Saturday launched the largest military assault on Israel in decades, triggering a wave of retaliatory Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

"I am drafted as well to serve and defend my country Israel. I said goodbye to my wife India, who sent me with blessings and protection of God. From now on she will be managing and posting on my behalf so be nice to her," he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, a video shot by Israeli journalists Hananya and India Naftali — while huddled in a Tel Aviv bomb shelter — has gone viral on social media. The couple's chilling video depicts the unprecedented reality that has devastated countless families overnight.

In the recording, the Naftalis share their terrifying experience of being awoken by rocket sirens and the immediate necessity to seek refuge in their shelter, a routine they've had to repeat several times within the past 24 hours.

"We heard explosions above our heads. These were rockets meant to hit us, civilians," he said. Hananya said that while many of the rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome, Israel's formidable aerial defence system, some were "direct hits".

"There is an all-time, unprecedented war that we are seeing right on," he said in the video shared on X, formerly Twitter.

So far, the Hamas missile attack and Israel's savage counter-offensive have taken almost 700 lives. Israel has sworn to exact vengeance for the "black day."

India Naftali is a news presenter for i24News, an Israeli channel. India, who immigrated to Israel from the US, said, "I think I can speak for everyone in Israel that we have never seen such a situation with hostages, graphic images. The first thing that I thought of when I saw some of these images is the Holocaust. I saw images that I wish I could erase from my brain, images of bodies of Israelis butchered, piled up on each other, things that I thought I would never see."

Meanwhile, the US has committed to send extra military assistance. This involves providing additional equipment, supplies, and weaponry to the Israel Defence Forces. President Joe Biden assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally of this commitment.

Similarly, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has voiced his steadfast support for Israel during these trying times. Both countries are strongly behind Israel as it defends itself against unprecedented attacks.

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