Many Israeli women have chosen to arm themselves with handguns.
Lital Shemesh, who works as a news anchor with Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, carried a gun on live TV amid concerns about another Hamas attack.
In the now-viral photo, which was taken on Tuesday, she can be seen sitting at her anchor desk with the gun tucked into the waistband of her trousers.
News reporters in Israel don’t mess around. pic.twitter.com/gGKxtArfvL
— Marina Medvin ???????? (@MarinaMedvin) January 3, 2024
Given the increased security concerns in Israel, many women have chosen to arm themselves with handguns.
Lital Shemesh’s recent social media post also showed her practising shooting skills at a gun range, where she called for people to “go arm yourself.”
לכו תתחמשו. pic.twitter.com/xWRTDho425
— ליטל שמש – Lital Shemesh (@Litalsun) December 28, 2023
Ms Shemesh has also shared several images of herself reporting from the frontlines, as well as in her soldier’s uniform.
ד״ש מגוש קטיף
צילום: אילן לורנצי pic.twitter.com/8zPa2Gmmjk
— ליטל שמש – Lital Shemesh (@Litalsun) December 14, 2023
She served as a full combat soldier in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Border Police division from 2002 to 2005, a period coinciding with the peak of the second intifada.
In a unit of approximately 100 men, she stood out as one of only five women. Originally assigned to Intelligence, Shemesh insisted on embracing a challenging combat role, primarily stationed at checkpoints across the country.
תודה ללוחם המילואים הגיבור, יקיר אסרף, על התמונה הזו מלב שג׳אעיה pic.twitter.com/iz9v8SmoZ1
— ליטל שמש – Lital Shemesh (@Litalsun) December 18, 2023
Shortly after the initial Hamas attack, Ms Shemesh expressed concerns about Israel planning a counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip. During an interview with Fox News on October 12, 2023, she stated, “The entire country is being recruited to fight this war against terrorism, to fight this war against Hamas. We haven’t seen a slaughter like this in Israel in the 75 years of Israel’s existence. This is a second holocaust for us.”
The October 7 attack, officially named “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” resulted in the death of over 1,140 people, with more than 200 hostages abducted by Hamas. The incursion reportedly involved several incidents of sexual violence. In response, Israel initiated an expanded ground offensive in the enclave, conducting relentless bombings that caused casualties among militants and civilians, along with significant infrastructure damage.