The Israeli students fighting in Gaza

Available for over a year

The decision to pull most Israeli troops out of southern Gaza exactly six months after the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas has started a new chapter in the war. It is not clear which way that is going, but what is clear is that tens of thousands of Israeli reservists who were mobilised have gone back to their old lives – for the time being. Among them are thousands of students. In this episode of the 5 Minutes On podcast the BBC's international editor Jeremy Bowen meets Ben, Ilan and Oded. They are three students at Ben Gurion University in Beersheva, only around 25 miles from Gaza, and have just returned after months fighting in combat units there. (Image: BBC)