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On October 4, 2023, Team Nimri, led by Captain Eden Nimri, arrived at the Nahal Oz base from the northern sector to replace the "Sky Rider" unit, which had gone home for the holiday. Three days later, Eden was killed in a heroic battle against terrorists who infiltrated the base during the October 7 massacre.
Team Nimri always carried an operations logbook, meticulously documenting every activity. The logbook, which was in the command room that was completely burned during the massacre, miraculously survived and was recently presented to Eden’s family. Inside, they found details about her final days and her professional conduct leading up to the attack.
Originally, Eden was set to become an exceptional athlete due to her swimming talent, but as her enlistment approached, she decided to pursue meaningful military service. After dropping out of the pilot training course, she was assigned to the "Sky Rider" unit, part of the Artillery Corps. Soldiers in this unit work alongside ground forces, operating a small UAV called the "Skylark," used for intelligence gathering, directing forces, artillery fire and other purposes.
Eden underwent a year of training and served as a combat soldier at the Nahal Oz base. "A brilliant girl with incredible abilities," her mother, Sharon, proudly recalls. Eden eventually became an officer and served in the northern sector. Occasionally, she and her team were sent to replace soldiers in the southern sector, as they were during the Yom Kippur holiday in 2023. They arrived at the Nahal Oz base, a place Eden knew well from her previous service.
"The base looked abandoned, neglected and desolate," Sharon recounts from a family visit to Eden. "Eden told us about the barrier erected against tunnels, the mounds of dirt and the fence. She felt safe and protected. They were sold stories that put them at ease. But Eden, who had fought in Operation Guardian of the Walls, knew the enemy all too well."
A year earlier, Eden had arrived at the Nahal Oz base with four female soldiers under her command. During their time in the sector, they were not required to carry out any operations. "Eden was told there was no operational necessity," Sharon explains. "She was concerned that her soldiers' readiness was deteriorating. She warned her commanders every day, raising the problematic situation to everyone who needed to know, but no one listened. They dismissed her concerns."
On October 7, just days after arriving at the base, Eden heroically fought off terrorists, enabling the female soldiers to escape from the fortified shelter, where she was ultimately killed. She saved the lives of 17 soldiers, including lookout soldiers who were kidnapped and later released.
"They woke up to the sounds of gunfire, and Eden immediately grabbed her weapon and led the girls to a shelter where soldiers she didn’t even know were hiding, as gunfire and explosions rang out," Sharon recounts. "At 7:15 a.m, she managed to message us that everything was okay. Six minutes later, she informed her company, Team Nimri has taken command of the shelter.'
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"Eden heard the terrorists approaching and didn’t flinch. She kept firing to draw their attention and allow the girls to escape, even as the terrorists started throwing grenades into the shelter. The last person to see Eden said she was crouched with her weapon, continuing to return fire. She was a fighter and a commander until the very end—that’s who she was. Even in pajamas, without her officer insignia, she was fully committed to her role and tried to save as many lives as she could, even though everyone there had effectively been sentenced to death."
Just two days later, Eden was supposed to begin a new role at Mitzpe Ramon, serving as the acting Operations Officer for her unit. "We had already planned her farewell from the team and the base, and we wanted to accompany her transition to her new post," Sharon says. "A beautiful girl, full of light, who loved life and was loved in return, until that tragic Saturday. She did everything with courage and humility. Her commanders describe her as a quiet leader."
The release of the lookout soldiers deeply moved Eden’s family. "We hoped for this moment. They were there and witnessed Eden in her final moments. We are eager to meet them, to hear about that day through their eyes. They even spoke about her in the Hamas tunnels to other captives who were later released. They didn’t even know her name, but it was important to them to share her act of heroism."
Ahead of Tu Bishvat, a senior military officer visited the family. After presenting them with a tree to plant and dried fruits, he revealed for the first time the operations logbook of Team Nimri. "I was very surprised to see the logbook, which was completely charred but whose contents were preserved," Sharon recalls.
The family was even more astonished to discover that the last entry in the logbook was dated October 3. "The logbook is full of daily reports from Eden and her team. In the northern sector, they operated around the clock, 24/7. Everything was documented and written. But the entries stop on October 3. From the moment the team arrived at Nahal Oz, nothing was written, meaning there was no activity."
The family has requested to keep the logbook, which survived the devastation of the command room, as a final memento. "Through the logbook, you can see Eden," Sharon concludes. "Her pursuit of excellence, her professionalism and her attention to detail. She understood the responsibility placed on her and the significance of her role. It proves to me what I already know—how meaningful she was in her life."