Four civilian guards held off dozens of terrorists at Kibbutz Sufa, Army probe reveals

Tel Aviv [Israel], July 28 (ANI/TPS): Against overwhelming odds and with minimal training, a four-member civilian security team at Kibbutz Sufa single-handedly prevented what could have been a massacre on October 7, according to an Israel Defence Forces investigation released on Monday.
The investigation, conducted by Lt Col Shemer Raviv, acknowledged the army's failure to defend the Gaza-border community against approximately 50 attacking terrorists. It also revealed how the kibbutz's civilian readiness squad -- outnumbered more than ten to one -- fought desperately to save their community as four infiltrators murdered one resident before being eliminated in close-quarters combat.
The attack began at 6:29 AM when a tank from the army's Sufa divisional company took position near the fence and spotted approaching terrorists. For three hours, the tank engaged terrorists arriving on motorcycles and pickup trucks, significantly reducing the assault's intensity. At 6:45 AM, kibbutz security chief Eliya Natan Lilienthal instructed the four-member readiness squad to "prepare for combat, but not to leave their homes yet."
The first breach occurred at 6:52 AM when four terrorists on motorcycles reached the western gate and killed readiness squad member Reserve Major Ofir Erez, who had arrived in his vehicle to defend the entrance. These terrorists then penetrated the kibbutz and split into two pairs. At 7:29 AM, they shot and killed Bernard Cowen, a 57-year-old resident who was sitting in his home.
Lilienthal proved crucial in stopping the initial assault. At 7:34 AM, "the coordinator spotted two terrorists near his house and killed them," according to the investigation. Fifteen minutes later, "he spotted two terrorists again and killed them as well. This ended the first attack on the kibbutz."
Simultaneously, fierce battles raged at nearby positions.
At the Sufa army camp, located hundreds of meters from the kibbutz, terrorists killed nine soldiers and wounded approximately 30 in a prolonged assault. At the "Dangur" memorial near the kibbutz's western entrance, 19 reserve fighters from a Nahal patrol unit engaged the attackers. Four fighters died in this battle, including company and platoon commanders, while six others were wounded.
The investigation noted that due to "the death of commanders in the battle and the intensity of Hamas' attack," military forces were unable to adequately defend the settlements.
The second wave commenced at 10:30 AM when about 30 terrorists concentrated in orchards north of the kibbutz and began firing at houses. The readiness squad and two armed civilians returned fire in an exchange that critically wounded Reserve Major Ido Hovera, who later died from his injuries. However, their resistance "stopped the advance of some of the terrorists" and prevented further penetration into residential areas.
Military reinforcements finally arrived at 11:53 AM under the deputy commander of the 80th Division, including six fighters from the Eilat special forces unit. These forces joined the security team in eliminating six terrorists who had infiltrated the kibbutz while engaging dozens more positioned in the surrounding orchards. A combat helicopter from Squadron 190 conducted two attack waves against the terrorists in the orchards, "killing many of them and stopping the terrorists' fire on the kibbutz."
Additional forces from engineering and military police units arrived at 2:00 PM to conduct systematic searches. The kibbutz was fully cleared by 6:30 PM, with residents evacuated to Eilat the following day. For several days afterward, IDF troops continued sweeping the area, discovering terrorists hiding in orchards and capturing some alive.
The investigation praised the readiness squad's "tenacious fighting despite their numerical inferiority" and lack of formal training. Interrogations of captured terrorists later revealed they had been ordered to abduct civilians.
Kibbutz Sufa responded to the findings by stating: "On that terrible day, we lost the sense of security in our home and we lost trust in the system that had sworn to protect us. On that day, we also discovered the strength of our community." The community emphasised that without the security team's resistance, "the IDF soldiers who arrived at the kibbutz at noon would have arrived at a bloody scene."
Monday's report is the latest in a series of detailed army probes -- summaries of which have been released -- of how some 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to attack numerous Israeli communities and overrun the army's border positions. The army's chain of command broke amid the chaos and soldiers were outnumbered.
The investigations found that the army misunderstood Hamas's intentions for years, and as October 7 approached, intelligence about the looming attack was misinterpreted. The military was also more focused on threats from Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The IDF probes only deal with issues of operations, intelligence and command, not decisions made by the political echelon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted calls for a state commission of inquiry, saying he opposes a "politically biased" probe. Critics accuse Netanyahu of delaying the inquiry and trying to water down its mandate. (ANI/TPS)