HEROINE

Eden Nimri, 22, from Modi'in, was a professional swimmer, represented the Israeli national youth swimming team, and could have evaded military service in order to further her sporting career.

Instead, Eden elected to defend her homeland, and enlisted in the Israeli Air Force's flight academy. After leaving the course, Eden volunteered for the prestigious Sky Rider unit, which operates the UAVs that collect operational intelligence for combat units deep in enemy territory.

Eden served as a combat soldier and later as an officer. On October 7th, the female soldiers of the Nachal Oz military base awoke at 7am to the sounds of the base coming under attack.

The IDF spotters were almost all female, none were combat soldiers and were unarmed. Eden and four of her women, all combat soldiers, raced with them to the safe room with their handguns. Within a short time, the battle began inside of the base, right next to the safe room where the unarmed women huddled together.

The base's PA system called out "Red Alert" over and over, in reference to a rocket attack. Afterwards, the words "Invasion, Invasion" were heard instead.

Inside the safe room, Eden made eye contact with the armed soldiers, loaded her gun then cocked it. The soldiers followed her lead, a move that later changed the course of the battle.

The safe room had two entrances. Eden, who naturally assumed the role of battle leader in defending the room, took the left entrance and instructed the fighters to guard the right entrance.

The first terrorist attempted to come through the door on the right and was shot dead by the soldiers. It was clear that the terrorists would now try the other entrance. This would in turn create an opportunity to escape through the rear. Eden readied herself by the door and ambushed the terrorists as they entered, in order to hold them up and buy the others time to exit via the open door.

When a group of terrorists charged with gunfire and grenades, they were met with suppressive fire from Eden and her handgun. These were golden seconds, precious moments that allowed six unarmed spotters and the four combat soldiers to escape unscathed to the barracks, where they stayed until an IDF force arrived to liberate them.

Eden fell in battle, and in so doing she saved the lives of ten other women serving as IDF soldiers.

Eden, your country salutes you.

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