Yonat Daskal Dagan, a paramedic with Magen David Adom, is one of the approximately 56,000 Israeli women have fought in the current war in Gaza. In order to accompany soldiers with the IDF’s Nahal Brigade, Dagan, the mother of two toddlers, relied on her own mother to care for them while she was deployed for over 100 days. Tom, Dagan’s husband, was also called into the reserves. Dagan reported for duty on October 9 after spending the first two days of the war working around-the-clock for MDA.
Dagan was interviewed on Israel’s News Channel 12 along with Sergeant Major Shirley Goldshlager who is currently serving in the IDF reserves, about being a mother and a member of the IDF reserves.
While she was in Gaza, Dagan missed several milestones in her younger child’s life: her daughter got her first tooth, took her first steps, learned to sleep on her own, and celebrated her first birthday. “I left a baby and got a finished product,” remarks Dagan in the clip.
When asked if she feels like a hero, Dagan replies “I don’t really like the word ‘hero,’ it’s my job and when someone does their job, they don’t need the word.”
“As a paramedic, the heroes are the soldiers fighting in Gaza,” she went on. “I’m their support so they can keep being heroes.”
