Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, June 18

Israeli aircraft in the early hours of Wednesday struck Hamas sites in Gaza after incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian enclave in the first such attacks since a ceasefire ended 11 days of deadly fighting last month.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) team involved in carrying out the strikes includes a woman of Gujarati origin, Nitsha Muliyasha.

According to Ahmedabad Mirror, the 20-year-old Nitsha belongs to a Gujarati family which originally hails from Kothari, a small village near Rajkot in Gujarat. Her family has been settled in Tel Aviv for years now. 

Nitsha is the first person of Gujarati origin to be inducted into the army. There are 45 Gujarati families in total residing in Israel, most of them are involved in the diamond trade.

Speaking about his daughter, Nitsha’s father Zeevabhai Muliyasha credited the Israeli education system. “The schooling prepares them for a series of tests to gauge their aptitude and skills, thus helping them choose an appropriate course and career,” Zeevabhai was quoted as saying.

According to the report, Nitsha is trained in the use of modern weapons and multidimensional manoeuvres on the battlefield. 

“Once her 2.4 years tenure with the army ends, she will be required to sign an agreement for a five-year or 10-year period, during which she can pursue engineering, medicine or a course of her choice as per merit. The army will bear the full cost of her education,” her father said.

“She has been posted along the border with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in the past two years. At present, she is posted in Gush Dan as the Israeli forces have been conducting counterattacks,” her father said.

He said while they are proud of Nitsha, they miss her a lot.