Labels

IDF 'rejuvenation complex' near Gaza has concerts, massage chairs, buffet, and more — a stark contrast to the horrors of the conflict zone

Israeli soldiers
Israeli soldiers patrol near Kibbutz Beeri, where 270 festival attendees were killed by Hamas militants

ARIS MESSINIS/Getty Images

  • Videos uploaded to TikTok show a new "rejuvenation complex" for Israeli soldiers.
  • The center features a health spa, massage chairs, buffets, concerts, and more. 
  • The images portray a sharp contrast to the scenes of humanitarian crisis over the border in Gaza.

TikToks uploaded by user Shita Hakdosha show a newly-opened "rejuvenation complex" for soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who have served in Gaza.

The videos show soldiers in IDF uniforms enjoying concerts, getting chair massages, playing video games, and enjoying a fully stocked buffet after returning from operations battling Hamas fighters in Gaza.

"The soldiers work so hard. Here they can relax and get back the energy needed to win this war," says an intro to one TikTok video about the R&R facility.

Rabbi Shai Graucher, who features in the videos, said: "We have every single thing that they need."

The images portray a sharp contrast to the scenes in Gaza, where over two million civilians have faced long periods without access to clean water, power, or fuel as a result of nearly seven weeks of bombing and ground war by the IDF. More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7.

Gaza
A fireball erupts from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023.

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images

The TikTok account that posted the videos of the IDF's rejuvenation center links out to the Standing Together/Chesed V'Rachamim campaign run by Graucher.

The campaign aims to provide "personal visits to and financial support for the families of victims, hospital visits to wounded soldiers and citizens, packages of essentials and toys to displaced families, and Tefillin and other religious articles to soldiers and families," according to its website.

It also coordinates "visits to army bases, providing soldiers with provisions tailored to their specific needs," it adds.

Last week, it said it has raised more than $4.6 million out of its $7.5 million goal.

Graucher is the son of famous Israeli Orthodox Jewish singer Oded David "Dedi" Graucher.

The user behind the TikTok account told Business Insider that Dedi died two months ago after a battle with cancer, after which Shai decided to expand the campaign.

According to the campaign's website, Chesed V'Rachamim has amassed a "treasure trove of essentials," which it has transported all over Israel, from "bustling urban centers to remote outposts."

Business Insider reached out to the Chesed V'Rachamim campaign for comment.

At least 56 Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting in Gaza, and hundreds have been wounded. Approximately, 300 were killed during the October 7 attacks.

The IDF claims to have killed 4,000 Hamas fighters, plus 1,000 on October 7, out of an armed force of 25,000, per The Times of London.

Read the original article on Business Insider


from Business Insider https://ift.tt/76dS3F1
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment