Junior Commanders’ Bravery Saved Over 100 Unarmed Recruits on October 7

Junior Commanders’ Bravery Saved Over 100 Unarmed Recruits on October 7

The report stressed that the base was never captured, unlike others such as Nahal Oz, and in total, nine terrorists were killed in and around Zikim that day.

By Ehud Amiton, TPS

The Israel Defense Forces published Sunday the findings of its investigation into the October 7 Hamas assault on the Zikim training base, revealing a desperate battle fought by junior commanders who saved over 100 unarmed recruits from capture or death.

Seven soldiers and commanders were killed during the fighting, which erupted at 6:29 a.m. as Hamas launched a surprise rocket barrage.

The rockets knocked out the base’s power, disabling communications. Amid the chaos, commanders swapped rookies out of exposed guard posts and took up defensive positions themselves, the report said.

Over the course of the morning, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Zikim in waves. In the first minutes of the attack, commanders identified armed men breaching the perimeter.

A firefight at the base’s southern post erupted; two terrorists were killed, but company commander Maj. Adir Abudi and another captain were fatally shot, and several others wounded.

With communications crippled and reinforcements cut off, the commanders fought fiercely.

“Their heroism delayed the enemy and saved lives,” said Col. Shlomi Ben Yair, who led the investigation.

At the seaside gate, about 20 civilians fleeing Zikim Beach were sheltered by base personnel. Shortly after, two terrorists approached.

One was shot dead by a commander, while the other was wounded and later neutralized by IDF commandos. Meanwhile, the gate to the shooting range came under attack. An RPG struck, killing four soldiers.

Two Hamas fighters breached the base after the RPG blast. In a bomb shelter, Cpl. Neria Aharon Nagari, an 18-year-old rookie, confronted one of the terrorists.

After wrestling him and getting stabbed, Nagari was killed, but his actions helped Pvt. Daniel Abuhatzira and Pvt. Ayman al-Lala finish off the attacker.

“Their quick and courageous response prevented a massacre,” the report said.

By 9:15 a.m., backup forces, including 2nd Lt. Avichail Reuven, a paratrooper who ran 12 kilometers from home under fire, arrived. They shot and killed the second infiltrating terrorist.

Despite the bravery, the investigation noted critical failures. The base had not been properly fortified, its defenses were poorly integrated with Gaza Division command, and it lacked sufficient weaponry.

Most of the soldiers were unarmed recruits, only two months into service.

“The lack of prior warning and preparedness severely impacted the outcome,” the report said.

The report stressed that the base was never captured, unlike others such as Nahal Oz. In total, nine terrorists were killed in and around Zikim that day, but “The commanders fought with personal example, brotherhood, and an unwavering commitment to mission,” the report noted.

The IDF said it would better provide training bases with not just with rifles, but also grenades and RPGs to counter similar threats. “We underestimated the risk to training facilities near the border,” an officer admitted. “That mistake won’t be repeated.”

Separately, the IDF showed footage of Zikim Beach’s failed defense, revealing how seven Golani soldiers retreated in the face of Hamas naval commandos without returning fire. Although the naval forces intercepted five of the seven Hamas boats, 16 terrorists landed and contributed to the attack.

Sunday’s report is the latest in a series of army probes — summaries of which have been released in recent weeks — 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.

They also 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.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.

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