Israeli army specialist from Chicago area to join front lines in possible invasion of Gaza
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In anticipation of an expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, as part of ongoing retaliatory strikes for Hamas' massive terror attack, Israel has called up an estimated 360,000 reservists.
Among those joining the fight is an army specialist from the western suburbs.
"The fear of what could happen is always there; morning, noon, and night," his mother told CBS 2's Charlie De Mar.
Her son is some 6,000 miles away fighting for Israel—a sniper in a highly specialized paratrooper unit. We've concealed his identity, and that of his parents, for their protection.
"He called me at 3:30 in the morning, and he says, 'I'm going to war. Horrible things are happening,'" his father said. "He told me one thing. He said, whatever you hear on the news, it's worse."
"As a mother, I just beam with pride. I'm so proud of the man he is," his mother said.
Their son, who we will call Jacob, grew up in Naperville. The grandson of holocaust survivors, he wanted to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces from a young age.
Now, more than 300,000 reservists will join the front lines as Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion of Gaza; young men and women from all over Israel and the world joining forces.
Jacob wrote his family a letter in the days since the war began, explaining why he's fighting.
"I am going to war to protect the people of Israel, the state of Israel, with all my heart, with all my soul, and my life, with one goal: to create peace now and forever that this will never happen again," he wrote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "crush and destroy" Hamas after its surprise attack from Gaza over the weekend. More than 2,300 have been killed on both sides of the conflict, among them 22 Americans.