Israeli soldiers are mentally prepared to enter Gaza but are struggling with a lack of necessary protective equipment, Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Jennie Taer said on Newsmax Saturday.
President Joe Biden asked Congress during an address Thursday night to pass a foreign aid package linking funding for Israel to Ukraine. While some Republicans are skeptical of funding for Ukraine, Taer said the situation in Israel is “extremely dire” and recounted how Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have explained their urgent need for American support.
“When I speak with IDF soldiers, some who are American, actually, they say that they really need the U.S. support,” Taer said.
“They don’t need boots on the ground, but they need things like support for the Iron Dome technology to be able to intercept missiles,” she continued. “I even have soldiers I’ve talked to down there who say they don’t have kevlar plates for their vests to be able to go into Gaza.”
Biden’s proposed budget would include $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel and $9.15 billion to support humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza “and other needs.” (RELATED: ‘Called To Help’: US Veterans Step In To Provide Israeli Military With Lifesaving Medical Aid)
Taer said soldiers are mentally prepared to go into Gaza, despite facing serious equipment shortages.
“I know U.S. veterans have stepped in to bring things like tourniquets because there are soldiers down there that are having to reuse tourniquets,” she said. “This is a really, really dire situation, where you have Western values at stake, and you have the Arab world, who has turned its back on Biden.”
Two U.S. veterans told the DCNF this week that they have arranged for hundreds of pieces of medical equipment to be delivered to Israeli soldiers since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Some of the 300,000 reservist soldiers the IDF has called on since the attack have spoken out online about their lack of military gear, according to the Times of Israel.
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