COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nearly two weeks after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel, a Columbus woman is gathering supplies to bring to Israeli soldiers.

Rochel Kaltmann has been devastated since the Israel and Hamas war began almost two weeks ago.

“What’s going on in Israel isn’t just an attack on the Jewish people,” said Kaltmann, the event coordinator for the Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center. “It’s an attack on all humanity. We can’t live in a world where it’s business as usual.”

Kaltmann lived in Israel for a year, and her sister currently lives there. When she first heard about the attack, she made sure all her loved ones were safe and then took to Facebook to figure out ways she could help.

“A friend reached out to me and she’s in touch with a commander of a unit who is in desperate need of the materials needed to keep the soldiers well equipped,” said Kaltmann. 

After making a simple post on Facebook, donations poured in. She collected things like tunicates, tactical gloves and first aid kits. She assembled care packages for a unit of 150 with the help of the youth in her community.

“It’s one unit at a time, one soldier at a time,” said Kaltmann. 

Hamas’ initial surprise attack killed over 1,300 Israeli people, but as the war continues, more than 2,750 Palestinians have been killed. More than a million people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced. Kaltmann said that no matter where you are in the world, there’s a role to play to help bring peace.

“We can’t just move on like nothing happened,” said Kaltmann. “It’s important to know that we can show our support from wherever we are in the world, whether it is helping supply the families whose lives were torn apart or soldiers who are on the front lines.”

Kaltmann will arrive in Israel between Thursday night and early Friday morning. She hopes to buy even more supplies while in Israel.