Israeli forces are preparing for a potential ground operation in Gaza in its war against Hamas, amassing huge numbers of troops at the border. Hundreds of Israeli airstrikes since October 7 have flattened neighborhoods in Gaza. Hospitals in Gaza have been overwhelmed with casualties and some facilities have scaled back treatments amid electricity and fuel shortages. More than 4,500 Palestinian people have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.
Here are the Israeli-Americans who are going to help their communities Israel:
Kineret Levin, 27: After Hamas’ surprise attack on Israeli communities on October 7, when Israel Defense Forces say the militant group took about 200 hostages and brutally killed more than 1,400 people, she felt going to Israel was a calling. So she left her home in Texas to fly to Israel to volunteer as a medic. She said she is not necessarily ready or prepared to see war injuries. But the medic said no matter what, she is sticking through it.
“It reminded me how I felt on 9/11 when I was a child and that hopelessness and not understanding what was going on,” she said. “And I was like, ‘never again’ and this is really never again.”
Dorel Meiri, 28: The Hamas attack on the Nova music festival that left scores dead particularly affected Meiri, an Israeli reservist from Los Angeles. “I think I was just in shock that it didn’t make sense to me the things that I was seeing.” He jumped on one of the charter flights.
“We’re going to fight for our country,” Meiri said at the Los Angeles terminal. “We’re ready and it’s amazing that everyone’s ready and you know, I’m just doing my part.”
Meanwhile, for Americans wanting to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, it’s much more difficult. A trickle of international aid is reaching the besieged enclave.
Lulu Hammad of Yalla Indivisible, a California-based activist group advocating for Palestinian rights, says it is impossible to help in the way they want. And traveling to the area or sending supplies is not an option for them.
“We feel that we are unable to help in the way that we believe we can help and in the way we know we can help,” Hammad said. “We are taking to the streets as much as possible, we are sending letters, we are making phone calls, we are raising some funds but we are outmatched.”
CNN’s Stephanie Elam and Jason Kravarik contributed to this report.