JNS
A rarity in the military, two women from the Bardelas Battalion share their experiences from the battlefield.
Suddenly, Israel Defense Force Staff Sgt. (res.) S. spotted a woman in a long dress advancing toward the building from afar. S. reported to her commanders and awaited instructions.
According to the messages IDF had relayed to Gaza civilians, anyone approaching the area would be suspected of attempting to harm IDF troops.
"The decision was made to fire near the woman, to make her turn around and leave," S. reveals for the first time about her conduct as one of the few female snipers in the Israeli military.
"When she continued to advance, I fired a second and third time close to her feet. The woman seemed determined and didn't duck or move aside. She kept walking toward the soldiers.
“I shot her in the leg, and she fell. She didn't cry or scream. Paratroopers approached her and provided medical treatment while I continued observing the area.
"Suddenly I saw an old Fiat approaching at top speed. I fired once at the vehicle as a warning. Through the scope, I saw the driver wearing black clothes, dark sunglasses and a baseball cap. He didn't slow down for a second, and it was clear he was determined to harm the soldiers helping the woman.
“I aimed at his chest and fired once. The car stopped, and the driver crawled out and fell to the ground bleeding.
"I kept my eyes on him while combat engineers cautiously approached and blew up the car, which was rigged with explosives. I felt like I was in the movie “American Sniper” in Iraq. Is this really me here now? I prevented a mass-casualty attack.
"Afterward, I thought about the ruthlessness of Hamas terrorists, who sent an elderly woman as a human lure. These terrorists have no limits, and they don't care about collateral damage. Let children and women die. The ones who saved the woman were IDF soldiers."
Although about 20 female snipers currently serve in the mixed-gender Border Defense Corps battalions—Bardelas (Cheetah), Caracal, Lions of the Jordan Valley, and Lions of the Valley—this hasn’t received media attention and doesn't appear in Wikipedia or on the IDF website.
Israel Hayom interviewed two Bardelas snipers, S. and Staff Sgt. L., who talked about their challenging role, their entry into Gaza, the elimination of terrorists, and the moments when they were in danger.
"There's not a second of quiet in Gaza," L. says. "On one occasion, the terrorists eventually figured out our location and tried to hit us. It was clear to me that there was a chance I'd end my life there, but I was focused on the mission."
When searching online for women who served as snipers, only the name of Lyudmila Pavlichenko comes up, who served in the Soviet army during World War II and single-handedly killed 309 Nazi soldiers.
S. (21) and L. (20) understand that they are unusual, but prefer to remain in the shadows where it's easiest to blend in and disappear.
The Bardelas Battalion’s role is to prevent infiltrations and thwart weapons and drug smuggling on the Egyptian border. Snipers provide backup from height and shoot at long ranges if necessary. When there's no operational need for snipers, they also serve as regular soldiers and join pursuits and arrests.
This week the border looked quiet. No foxes or wild donkeys roamed near the Egyptian fence, and the yellow mountains gleamed under the scorching sun. One giant sign, partially peeled, warns in Hebrew, Arabic and English that anyone who crosses or touches the fence is risking his life.
Despite the heavy heat, S. and L. climb to an observation post with their heavy sniper rifles, which have a range of up to 500 meters (1,640 feet). They extend the bipods, insert the magazines, lie down on the sharp rocks without blinking, and get under a camouflage net covering their entire bodies. Only the barrel and their fingers with colorful nail polish stick out.
"It's on purpose," L. smiles. "The nail polish is the most obvious sign showing it's a female fighter and not a male. With the uniforms, vest, helmets and face cover, you can't tell it's a female sniper. We're left with our nails and also the braid in our hair, which isn't always visible."
Q: Did you know that female fighters in the Kurdish army wore heavy makeup and shouted "kololo" at ISIS terrorists in Syria so they'd know they were women? ISIS believers think that whoever falls at the hands of a woman loses his place in paradise.
"Excellent idea," S. laughs. "Next time in Gaza I'll trill 'kololo' the moment I release a bullet."
About a month and a half ago, S. was discharged from regular service, and the next day she enlisted in the reserves until the end of November. "As someone who grew up in the south, I looked up to the soldiers who protected my home even as a child," she says.
"In high school, I knew I'd study architecture and interior design, so in the army, I looked for an experience that doesn't exist in civilian life. It was clear that I wanted to be in combat, not sitting in front of a computer, so I chose the Border Defense infantry."
Q: Were you accepted to the sniper team right from the start?
S.: "No. After basic training, I was allocated a marksman rifle, which is more accurate and has a longer range than a regular rifle. I connected with long-range shooting and wanted to switch to sniping, but there was no room. When the only two female snipers in the team at the time suffered from medical issues and could no longer do ambushes, I jumped at the opportunity."
L., a resident of the north, also wanted to serve as a combat soldier. "I enlisted two years ago and was already interested in serving as a sniper during basic training," she smiles. In November, L. joined the sniper course.
Q: When did you receive the notification that you were entering Gaza?
S.: "The day before we entered, in early December. I was very excited, but there were also concerns. In Bardelas we're used to stones, sand and desert, not urban warfare."
L.: "I received the notification a few hours before we left for Gaza. This was about a week after I finished the sniper course. I didn't know what to pack, but it was important for me to take grooming products because the mission in Gaza doesn't contradict my desire to remain a woman."
Q: Did you want to join the fighting?
L.: "It was very important to me. At the beginning of the war, I lost one of my best friends, Sgt. First Class Aviel Melkamu, an Egoz [commando unit] solder who fell in Kissufim. I wanted to fight for him. I decided to dedicate the first bullet that would leave my barrel in Gaza to him.
“I knew this was also our moment as female fighters and snipers on the front lines. They didn't always believe in women fighters in the IDF, until Oct. 7 came. Unfortunately, it was the war that proved our capabilities."
Q: Did you shoot at terrorists?
"I shot two," says S. "The first time was about a month after we entered Gaza. Suddenly I saw two suspicious figures approaching. They were walking confidently and seemed to know where they were going. We couldn't see if they had firearms or knives. They could also be observers.
"They continued closing in on us. Another female fighter and I shot in their direction and we saw them fall. A team of paratroopers checked them. It turned out that one of them was carrying an explosive device on his body and the other was probably his assistant. We had no doubt he came to blow himself up among the soldiers."
Q: Was this the first time you killed a person?
"Yes, but it didn't stress me out. I acted on autopilot. It's a terrorist, and there's a reason why we entered Gaza. The lives of the soldiers are in my hands. It's either the terrorist or them.
“Afterward, the realization that I had taken a life sank in, but I didn't feel bad because he came to murder us. The terrorist with the booby-trapped Fiat, two weeks later, also came to kill soldiers. I don't have nightmares at night because of them."
L.: "I didn't get to kill terrorists because they didn't come during my shifts, and my main role was to locate and take down explosive drones in Gaza. However, I didn't forget my promise. Every morning there's a dawn readiness where terrorists come out, and we shoot and warn them not to approach. The first bullet was always dedicated to Aviel, may he rest in peace.”
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
