Singer Gilad Millo has revealed that his son has arrived in Israel to join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the fight against the Hamas terror group that launched an attack against the Jewish state on October 7, 2023.
The 'Unajua' hitmaker on Friday, October 13, 2023, said his son joined the IDF paratrooper unit after arriving in Israel in the morning of the same day.
Millo's son was picked up from the airport by his daughter who also serves in the IDF. Military service in Israel is compulsory, exemptions can be secured on religious, physical, psychological, or legal grounds.
"Early this morning our son #Omer landed in Israel to join his paratrooper unit as a reservist in @idf 🇮🇱 Omer who finished his army service over a year ago was surfing in Nicaragua on October 7th when Hamas terrorists butchered over 1300 innocent Israelis 💔 without hesitating and despite many flight cancelations he found a way to get home to #Israel and was received at the airport this morning by his sister #Lia who is a soldier @idf and has been working around the clock since Saturday morning's atrocities training combat medical teams in preparation for active duty and feels grateful for every doctor, paramedic and medic she has the privilege to train 🙌🏽 ," Millo wrote.
The Kenyan-Israeli singer added that both of his children grew up in Kenya but chose to join the Israeli army out of a sense of duty.
"Both of our children grew up in Kenya and chose to join the Israeli army out of a sense of duty and both of them have lost people they know in these horrendous attacks as have all of their friends 💔 Kids your Mother and I are as proud as any parent can be of their children for the incredible human beings you have become ❤️ our hearts are full. We pray to God to keep you both safe and healthy 🙏🏽🙏🏽 #AmIsraelChai #IStandWithIsrael #PrayForIsrael #ProudMomAndDad🧿🧿," Millo added.
The ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when militants invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip and slaughtered thousands. As of October 14, 2023, the death toll from the Hamas attack stands at 1,300 people and 3,000 wounded.
Israel formally declared war on Hamas a day later after the brutal attack. The war is part of the decades-long Arab–Israeli conflict, particularly the Gaza–Israel conflict.
Gilad Millo
Gilad Millo served as the deputy head of mission at the Israeli Embassy in Kenya before he traded diplomacy for a career in music.
A son of an Israeli diplomat, Millo grew up around the world in Israel, Germany, the UK, the US, Turkey, and Kenya.
Millo became famous in Kenya through his music career, composing love songs in both Swahili and English. He boasts of several hit songs including mega hits such 'Unajua', 'Sema Milele', 'Mapenzi' and others.
Millo is a two-time AFRIMA Award winner.
In December 2021, Gilad Millo announced that he had acquired Kenyan citizenship after residing in the country for years.
"It has been 21 years since I first came to Kenya and 6 years since I applied for my Kenyan Citizenship. Now it is finally official. I’m proud to be Kenyan,” Gilad Millo wrote on social media.
In recent years, Gilad Millo seems to have concentrated more on garlic farming. He is the co-founder and one of the Directors of Ole Raha Limited which works to develop the garlic sector in Kenya.
Millo garlic farms are located in Isinya, Kajiado County.
