25-Year-Old Israeli Woman Organises Defence, Saves Kibbutz Nir Am From Terrorists

The girl quickly distributed weapons to the rapid response team.

Israeli Inbal Rabin-Lieberman, 25, saved Kibbutz Nir Am from terrorists. It is practically the only village in the Gaza border strip that was not seriously damaged by the Hamas attack.

On that terrible morning, October 7, Inbal was one of the first in the country to realise what was happening. And she took the lead in defence, Details reported.

In December 2022, the kibbutz appointed her to the position of military security coordinator. Inbal was born and raised in Kibbutz Nir Am, served in IDF combat units, and studied at the Women's Leadership School.

The Military Security Coordinator is responsible for the security of the community in normal and emergency situations until IDF or police forces arrive. He is the "liaison" between the settlement's residents, local authorities and security forces, and is paid from the Defence Ministry budget.

Inbal succeeded her uncle, Ami Rabin, in the position. In December 2022, she was congratulated on her appointment by Sha'ar ha-Negev Regional Council head Ofir Liebstein - who was killed by terrorists on October 7, 2023.

"History in Sha'ar ha-Negev - first female security coordinator in a kibbutz! Inbal, replacing her uncle Ami Rabin. I am filled with pride at this choice. "There is no 'glass ceiling' at Sha'ar ha-Negev - we have equality in all positions," Liebstein wrote at the time.

Inbal took her responsibilities very seriously. In the morning of October 7, she correctly assessed the threat and quickly distributed weapons to a "rapid response team" ("kitat konenut") of the settlement's residents.

"She was the first in the entire State of Israel to realise what was happening. She ran like crazy from house to house, organised a self-defence unit, prepared a plan to defend the kibbutz and arranged men in ambushes at the kibbutz fence," the southern Israel kibbutz website - yeshuvnik.net - wrote about Inbal.

Terrorists who came to kill civilians were met with fire. All Hamas militants who tried to break into the kibbutz were killed. Twenty-five militants' bodies were later counted at the fence.

After the kibbutz residents managed to fight off the terrorists, Inbal and her family, like many other kibbutz residents, evacuated. The heroine stayed in a hotel in Tel Aviv. On October 9, she was celebrating her birthday. Mayor Ron Huldai came to meet her and congratulate her.

"Inbal is a heroine," Huldai wrote on Facebook. "Her story, which is being published everywhere, leaves no one indifferent - for her coolness, courage and bravery. Thanks to Inbal, dozens of lives have been saved. Thanks to her, Kibbutz Nir Am was saved. Today, Inbal arrived with her family at one of the hotels where we host border residents. I was honoured to meet her."

As social media users note, in addition to her civic activism in the kibbutz, Inbal Rabin-Lieberman also participated in protests against judicial reform on Kaplan Street.