Eden Nimri, an Israeli international-level swimmer, was killed in fighting against Hamas militants in Nahal Oz, a village in Southern Israel.
Nimri was a lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and a commander of a drone unit fighting in the area.
Nahal Oz is located near the Gaza strip in Southern Israel where heavy fighting has ensured over the last 48 hours since Hamas began launching thousands of missiles into Israel.
Nimri, 22, grew up swimming at the Reut Water Park Club. She was part of a big swimming family in Israel, her sister Noga is a swimmer, her father Michael is a Masters swimmer, and parents Michael and Sharon are both swimming officials.
She represented Israel internationally at the 2018 European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, placing 30th. She also represented her country at the 2017 ISF World Schools Championships and the 2014 Mediterranean Cup.
“Eden was an amazing girl, a good friend, competitive, especially hardworking, had a high self-discipline, worked hard, always aiming high, set goals and met them,” the Israel Swimming Association said on Instagram.
Nimri swam her last official meet in December 2019 at the Israeli Short Course Swimming Championships.
Eden Nimri, courtesy Israel Swimming Association
The surprise attacks by Hamas began on Saturday morning and have continued, with more missiles being launched across the border and Hamas fighters crossing into Israel and taking hostages and killing Israeli civilians. Israel has retaliated with air strikes in Gaza, which Palestinian authorities say have killed at least 78 children.
More than 800 Israelis and 500 Palestinians have been reportedly killed in the fighting so far according to Israel’s military, with Israel formally declaring war on Hamas on Sunday. US officials say that 9 U.S. citizens have died in the conflict so far, with a number of others still unaccounted for.
- For continuing updates on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, see this live blog from CNN.
Very sad news. God bless her family.
Very sad.. rest in peace.
This article brings this horrific tragedy right to our hearts. The world needs to rally behind Israel and help them eradicate Hamas and other terrorist groups.
This is bloody horrific. Such a waste of all lives
May Eden rest in paradise. Prayers.
Thank you Swim Swam for this very sad report. In 1973 I swam for Canada in the Maccabia Games. We stayed in the athlete’s village in Ramat Gun, a suburb of Tel Aviv. The village was heavily protected with tanks at the front gate and militia on roof tops with machine guns in full view. These Games were 3 months before the Yom Kippur War but we could feel the tension in the air. FIFTY years later, the conflict still exist, and peace between the Palestinians and Israel seem nowhere in sight. The horrific slaughter of young Women like Eden is irreprehensible, The World must stand up and support Israel in their efforts to gain the release of the hostages… Read more »
You understand that the root reason for conflicts to exist in Israel is because this country is a settler-colonialist regime right? Local Palestinians have been living there for 1000 + years and now they are deprived of their land and basic living rights. Terrorism is bad and I feel sad for all of the civilians injured, but the world (West) has never stood up for the Palestinians civilians who have been colonized and brutally killed for decades. Now suddenly you see a terrorist attack and feel that the world is crumbling
One thing is certain: the atrocities of Hamas and bombings by Israel will spawn another generation of hate. In order to mend and move forward the killing and hate must stop. Haven’t enough people died already? I am hopeful the dead did not die for nothing. Honor them by putting down all guns and controlling all hate.
The State of Israel is, in truth, the antithesis of a settler-colonialist regime. The Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians and forcibly taken to what is now modern day Iraq, where the Jews, including my own family, lived until the State of Israel was created. Over the centuries, the Land was conquered by different empires, including the Romans and the Ottomans. The commonality was always expulsion of the Jews. You claim that the Palestinians have lived there for 1,000+ years. Actually, the Romans, in crushing the Jews in the Bar Kochba revolt, renamed Judea “Palaestina” (for the Philistines) as a final insult to the conquered and expelled Jews. It was not until the State of Israel was created… Read more »
“It was only then that the many people, who were expelled over the millennia, were able to return home.” I didn’t know people lived that long.
Cute deflection-a pitiful attempt to delegitimize the basis for the founding of the State of Israel. Or, perhaps an attempt to erase the history of the Jews in the land of Israel since the 2nd millennium BCE as part of a darker purpose to erase the State of Israel.
Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet.
A long weekend of sadness.
RIP Eden.