From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 6, 2024
Former Gaza hostage Noga Weiss drafts into the IDF: ‘Carrying on with my life’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Former hostage Noga Weiss was drafted into the Israeli military this morning.
Weiss, 18, was kidnapped by Hamas from her home in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, along with her mother Shiri.
Her father, Ilan, was killed by the terrorists.
Noga and Shiri were released from the Gaza Strip in a hostage deal in November.
Noga will serve as a mashakit tash, or noncommissioned officer responsible for service conditions, a sort of social worker for soldiers.
“After a very turbulent period, I feel that enlisting in the army to the position of a mashakit tash is the right thing for me. Mashakit tash has been my dream position for years. I feel that I can contribute a lot, be significant and help others,” Weiss says in remarks published by the military.
“I always wanted to enlist and dedicate myself to the country. The army for me is a combination of a distraction from what happened, a framework and a daily routine, but mainly carrying on with my life as it would have been even before all this happened,” she says.
“I remember that the day my mother and I were released, they took us to Kerem Shalom, and there was a hangar full of soldiers. The presence of the soldiers made me feel safe and it only strengthened my desire to be a part of and serve in the army,” Weiss adds.
