Houston-area man who grew up in Israel expects long struggle with Hamas

Israel man speaks on war with Hamas

President Biden is requesting billions of dollars worth of military aid for Israel. FOX 26's Tom Zizka shares the story of a man who grew up in Israel who says the fight is necessary and dangerous.

HOUSTON - President Biden is requesting billions of dollars worth of military aid, for Israel, to support its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. For a Houston-area man, who grew up in Israel, the fight is necessary and dangerous.

Hanan Yadin moved from Israel 30 years ago, after serving in the Israel Defense Force and Shin Bet anti-terror service. He now provides tactical and anti-terrorism training through his company, ISI Training Center. He believes to latest violence was predictable, "Everybody in this business, this field, we knew it was going to come. But we didn't know that it was going to be so brutal and such a devastating attack against civilians."

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Yadin admits to a sense of shock and disbelief when he saw the images of the Hamas attack, in southern Israel, on Oct. 7. As a child and young adult, in Israel, he says the anxiety and tension of an unsettled co-existence with the country's neighbors was inescapable.

After growing up through three wars, and fighting in two, including a few deployments to Gaza, Yadin says the coming battles will be difficult. "Gaza 30 years ago, is not what Gaza is today," he says, "It's much more difficult, much more complex; the population grew; Hamas established its system much better than it was 30 years ago."

President Biden has requested $14 billion for military assistance to Israel, which will support the coming battles that will, very likely, see street-by-street fighting in Gaza, in addition to the punishing bombardment of the territory. "In Israel, we must make sure that they have what they need to protect their people today and always," announced the President from the Oval Office, in a nationwide address.

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In the middle, will be more civilians caught between the Hamas militants who started this latest fight, and Israeli soldiers who are battling back. "Right now, the Israeli security and Israeli IDF needs to focus on the one thing: the destruction (of) Hamas' ability to cause any more harm to anybody, not just Israel," says Yadin.

He expects this current struggle with Hamas will take months, or years, to finish.