North Texas teen Megan Daniels fighting for Israel after joining IDF
PLANO (CBSNewsTexas.com) - She graduated from high school last year. Now Megan Daniels, 19, has gone to war.
"We're all very concerned, and we're just terrified for our daughter. We just pray she will be ok," shared Daniels' parents, Eddy and Taryn Daniels of Plano.
Following Hamas' terrorist attack over the weekend, which pushed Israel to declare war against the Palestinian militant group, Daniels called her parents from the country.
"She called us to say, 'Mom, Dad, I'm safe. I'm at my base.' I said 'what do you mean?' And she said the bombings started; hadn't made the news in the U.S. yet... And when she called us later in the day, the full enormity of what had happened came down," shared Eddy Daniels. "It was not just a regular bombing run, which happens there more often than you'd like to admit."
What We Know About The Israel-Hamas War
The Daniels said their daughter was inspired after a trip to Israel while in middle school, to learn more about its history and culture. It was life-changing, according to her parents, spurring Daniels' to join the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF.
According to an organization raising funds for the humanitarian needs of the soldiers serving on the frontlines, Friends of the IDF, there are currently 21 Lone Soldiers (including private Daniels) from Texas currently serving in the national military of the State of Israel.