And as the prospect of wider conflict looms he had this warning for the state's enemies "We are united. Hamas must be destroyed." Itai has fought in wars before. But as he prepares for action with his reservist comrades, he reveals there is something different in the mindset of Israel veterans today.
"We are all sad, we are all angry but we are all also full of vengeance and this is a new feeling," he said.
The 40-year-old veteran of the 2006 war with Lebanon and Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank immediately signed up for duty on that fateful Saturday, one month ago. The 360,000 reservists who have been called up to deal with the crisis know it could be several months before they see their families again.
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