During a mission, a sniper shot Ido in the head, causing catastrophic brainstem damage so severe that he was initially declared dead.
By Hezy Laing
Israel has rallied around Ido Nehmad, a 23‑year‑old combat soldier from Battalion 931 of the Nahal Brigade, whose story has become one of the most heartbreaking symbols of the Iron Swords War.
Ido, the middle child of a deeply committed military family — with his sister Zohar, 25, serving as a career officer, and his brother Yahli, 19, enlisted in a classified combat unit — was critically wounded on January 3, 2024, during an operation in northern Gaza aimed at locating hostages hidden in Hamas tunnels.
During the mission, a sniper shot Ido in the head, causing catastrophic brainstem damage so severe that he was initially declared dead.
Only the rapid evacuation by IDF medics prevented his death.
Over the past two and a half years, he has been treated in eight hospitals, undergone approximately 20 surgeries, including ten brain surgeries, and remains unconscious.
Doctors and military officials have described him as the most severely wounded soldier of the war.
In December, after endless months spent living in hospital corridors, the Nehmad family — together with medical teams — decided to transition Ido to home‑based hospitalization, believing it offered the best chance for stability and rehabilitation.
They rented an accessible home and transformed it into a miniature medical ward, complete with advanced equipment and space for the two full‑time caregivers who live alongside them.
But the rental contract is ending, and the family has located a permanent home suitable for long‑term care — a property that can accommodate Ido’s medical needs, rehabilitation equipment, and the caregivers’ adjacent living space.
The Ministry of Defense has already contributed substantial assistance toward the purchase, and the family has committed its own savings, yet a significant financial gap remained.
In response, Israelis mobilized. Through online campaigns, community drives, and private donations, more than $1 million has been raised to help secure the home that will serve as Ido’s lifelong care center.
The campaign has drawn support from thousands across the country, reflecting what organizers describe as “a nation with a big heart.”
