Grandmother of first female soldier killed in combat in Gaza

The grandmother of the first female soldier killed in combat in Gaza was comforted during the 'hero' 20-year-old paramedic's funeral last night.

The Israeli military said four soldiers were killed in southern Gaza and five others were wounded on Tuesday, with three of them in a serious condition.

One of those who died was Staff Sergeant Agam Naim, an army paramedic.

She is first female soldier to have been killed in combat in Gaza, according to Israeli media.

The young soldier has been hailed as a 'true hero' and a 'smiling gem of a soul' in emotional tributes.

A heart-breaking photo of her funeral shows her grandmother sat in a chair, surrounded by three women trying to comfort her.

Other army medics at the funeral struggled to hold back tears at the death of their fallen comrade.

Some sat on the ground beside a pile of floral tributes, hugging one another. 

Agam, from Kibbutz Mishmarot, was supposed to complete six months of service in Gaza on Thursday and go on regular leave to begin instructing a paramedics course at Bahad 10, the medical corps school.

She had already renewed her passport, intending to take a short holiday abroad with her friends.

It was reported that the soldiers - from the 401st Armoured Brigade's 52nd Battalion - were killed by a hidden bomb that exploded inside a building.

Along with the young paramedic, Cpt. Daniel Mimon Toaff, 23, Staff Sgt. Amit Bakri, 21, and Staff Sgt. Dotan Shimon, 21, were all killed.

Agam's aunt, Muriel, said her parents had been terrified for her and there was a 'big family conversation' when she was deployed to Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Her aunt recounted the words which she said she will never forget: 'She said that she wouldn't be able to look into the eyes of the mothers of her comrades in her unit if they were going to Gaza and she wasn't there to take care of them.' 

She added: 'The horrible thing is that we send the kids, knowing the price isn't worth it. That's the worst part. Now, there are more bereaved parents who must cope with this terrible price and live with it for the rest of their lives, knowing they let her go for something they maybe no longer believe in.'

Two months ago, Agam's mother posted on Facebook to speak of the terror she experienced when she learned a paramedic had been harmed and she had no idea if it was her daughter.

It read: 'Agam received invitations to the paramedics course, and we were so happy. Maybe she'll become a doctor one day, wouldn't that be great?

'Two days after the course ended, she was already in Gaza with the engineering corps. We stopped breathing, stopped sleeping. Life changed. Suddenly, I discovered panic attacks that came without warning.

'The pain was immense, terrifying. Another day, I got a call: 'Have you heard from Agam?' No, why? 'A paramedic was injured.' Again, I stopped breathing, seeing black, trying to find out more. Another call came – no, the injured paramedic was from Jenin. No relief. That day, we didn't know where she was. We found out later she was with Givati.'

In another emotional post she said: 'What kind of child will I get back at the end of this war? I hope that soon my daughter will return home safe in body and mind, that the war will end, and that we'll return to normal life, God willing. My Agami, I'm so proud of you, my beloved, waiting for you.'

The deaths on Tuesday came nearly a year into the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas' October 7 attack.

Hamas and other armed groups remain active across the territory despite months of heavy Israeli bombardment and ground operations that have destroyed vast areas and displaced most of the population.

Israel says 346 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of ground operations last October. The military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.