Deerfield native Ilan Kedar reporting for IDF reserve duty in Israel

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The second wave is coming in Israel. There are 360,000 soldiers from the reserve ranks that have been called to duty, including some dual citizens here in the U.S. and metro Chicago. Many of these Israel Defense Forces reservists will move out this weekend to fight for Israel, in a war they never saw coming.

Video taken Wednesday in Israel, obtained by the I-Team, shows reserves called up to serve again; their identities scrambled for security.

This Israeli Defense special operations unit does targeted reconnaissance and missile tactics.

North suburban native Ilan Kedar, a graduate of Deerfield High School, is joining the squad this weekend.

"I grew up in a family, half Israeli, half American. And, you know, I was raised in a family, in a community, where service to the greater good is the highest value, not just within my family, but the community members around us. And at the end of the day, when you're called upon, the answer is always yes," Kedar said.

After serving five years in the IDF, Kedar joined the reserves in 2014. Last weekend he was recalled to fight in this new war.

He was notified in a very 2023 way: a message on What'sApp.

Translated it says:

Dear Soldier,

Israel has entered into a state of war for survival.

Our Unit has been called!

You are to arrive at our emergency warehouses.

"Flights are being sponsored for anyone that was out of the country, across the United States. Hundreds and hundreds of people, people giving up their seats to let soldiers fly back. So, I'm part of a massive group of reservists that are on their way to support this fight," said Kedar.

Kedar is preparing to rejoin his military brothers, and leave behind a wife of just a few months near Tel Aviv.

"This is the darkest hour that I've seen, personally," said Kedar. "The absolute massacre that we've all witnessed here, that they seem to be proud of, as they have been posting all these videos. It's just it's unacceptable, and we will do what we need to do in order to make sure that this never happens again."

Kedar's mother is a rabbi, most recently at a temple in Deerfield. When the Hamas invasion happened last Saturday, he was with her on a trip to New York. His phone lit up, including that What'sApp mobilization message.

Even though Kedar spent some childhood summers in Israel, he tells the I-Team of an awakening that occurred when he ran cross-country at Deerfield High School; a moment of realization that his destiny was to become an Israeli soldier.