Father and son mobilize on weekends to battle Hamas on Israel’s border

The father, a deputy commander in the Israel Border Police, and son, an IDF paratrooper, mobilize every Friday against Hamas protests along the Gaza border.

By David Jablinowitz, World Israel News

Over the past four months, a father and son have both been serving in Israel’s security forces. Two generations of the same family are carrying out different roles in defense of the state, Israel Hayom reports.

Police Superintendent Ayin, identified only by the first letter of his name for security reasons, has served in the Israel Police for 32 years. He is currently a fighter and deputy commander in the Border Police undercover unit.

His son is Staff Sergeant Yuval, identified only by his first name, and is in the IDF Paratroopers Brigade.

Each Friday, father and son meet, but not for some leisurely activity, as so many parents and children do on the weekend. No, these two – Ayin and Yuval – meet on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip, as part of Israel’s defense against Hamas terrorists at the weekly Palestinian border protests which often lead to violence.

Back in the 1990’s, the father was one of the founders of the Border Police undercover unit inside the Gaza Strip. Israel controlled the coastal enclave from 1967, when it captured it in the Six Day War, until 20o5, when the government headed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon carried out a withdrawal of Israeli civilians and the military.

Over the past year, as Hamas called for the launch of a March of Return to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration of recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,  Ayin has been leading his fighters, including sharpshooters, in their defense of the Israeli communities situated near Gaza.

Yuval is still in the midst of compulsory IDF service, and for four months has been serving in the Gaza border district, Israel Hayom reports.

“As a father, you can’t help but worry about your children who are serving in the army or police,” says the border police deputy commander.

“The last thing I expected is to meet my son during joint [border police and IDF] operational activity in the same district,” he says.

“Over recent months, the fact that my son is fighting here at my side reinforces my sense of mission, though in addition to my concern for my fighters, I have another worry,” says Ayin.

A couple of months ago, a stone hurled by Palestinians struck Ayin’s helmet. “The paratrooper force set up just dozens of meters from the [border] fence, and my force and I operated just a number of meters away from them,” the father recalls.

“I knew that my son was posted in one of the positions nearby, but I didn’t know which one,” he says, according to Israel Hayom.

The father and son were working in tandem in the defense of the Israeli border. “He was sending me reports on the gathering of protesters on the other side of the fence,” says the father.

“Just minutes after we set up our position along the border, I felt something large hit my helmet,” the father remembers. “It turned out that a Hamas activist had hit me with a large rock,” he adds.

In response to that attack, the demonstrator who threw the stone was shot in the foot by the Israeli military force.

“My work alongside my father is very meaningful for me,” says Yuval. “To see him every Friday and know that together we are defending the residents, each in our own way, is very satisfying,” adds the son.

Ultimately, though, says the father: “Our common objective is to preserve the security of the residents.”

IDF