We were stuck in a holding pattern, circling in Jordanian airspace near the border with Israel while awaiting the order to proceed. Our five-plane aerial convoy was part of a Jordan- and United Arab Emirates–led effort to air-drop food into the Gaza Strip, to mitigate the disastrous humanitarian conditions that its population is facing almost two years into the war. Once we received permission, we flew over Israel and out to the Mediterranean Sea. And then, as we descended to 2,000 feet, I was able to see my home for the first time in 20 years.

In some desolated areas, there was nothing left standing. But I was also able to spot some pockets of life that had not yet been entirely destroyed. Tents covered long stretches of the dusty landscape. And from above, I could see Israel Defense For

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