This morning (Friday), the IDF released its findings on the intense battle that took place on October 7 at Kibbutz Nirim and the nearby “Beit Lavan” outpost—one of the deadliest incidents in the Hamas attack on Israeli border communities.
Civilians Forced to Fight to Halt the Massacre
The investigation revealed that the IDF failed in its mission to defend the kibbutz: five civilians were murdered and five were kidnapped to Gaza. Ten commanders and soldiers were killed, and eight more abducted. Dozens of terrorists took control of the kibbutz for several hours. Local residents and a small number of brigade forces were left to fight and heroically halted the ongoing slaughter.
According to the investigation, a collapse of the chain of command—from platoon to brigade—along with the failure of command centers and lack of situational awareness, contributed to the defensive failure. The halting of the assault is credited to the rapid arrival of the brigade commander’s command team, led by Col. Asaf Hamami z”l, who was killed in the battle, along with efforts by combat teams and the local emergency squad.
Timeline of the Attack
06:29 – Rocket fire towards Nirim; residents instructed to take shelter.
06:33 – Southern Brigade Commander Col. Hamami spotted a breach near Nirim, created by enemy forces using a tractor and a vehicle, he sounds the alarm on the radio: “We are at war,” and orders full mobilization.
06:35 – The company sector commander and reconnaissance soldiers position themselves outside the kibbutz and open fire on terrorist squads at various points.
06:40 – Eleven terrorists on six motorcycles are identified approaching the kibbutz fence. Two minutes later, they infiltrate. Another minute later, the regional security officer requests all standby squads in the surrounding communities be activated. He declares a breach across the entire sector.
06:47 – Under the command of Lt. Col. Asaf Hamami, militants are encountered near the fence. Several militants are neutralize and the rest advance into the kibbutz. In the ensuing battle, (lasting around 20 minutes), Hamami and two of his soldiers – Tomer Achims and Kirill Brodsky – are killed.
07:00 – A tank positioned on the fence identifies a terrorist cell and destroys it. Shortly after, the tank is hit by an anti-tank missile.
07:08 – The tank falls into an ambush and is hit by four additional anti-tank missiles. The militants seize it and capture four soldiers, three of whom are killed. Two minutes later, a report is received about militants at the “Beit Levan” outpost. The sector commander leads a force toward the outpost, encounters several terrorist cells, and neutralizes most of them. The force quickly returns to the Nirim sector to prevent further infiltration.
07:39 – A tank from the Kissufim sector arrives at Nirim, neutralizes the remaining terrorist cells in the area, conducts searches, and then returns to Kissufim.
08:20 – Dozens of armed militants breach the fence of Kibbutz Nirim. They enter the kibbutz, carry out a massacre of civilians, capture residents, burn houses and vehicles, and attack families who have barricaded themselves in protected rooms.
09:00 – The Nukhba forces leave the kibbutz with hostages, but dozens of militants remain in the area, continuing to flow in waves. They continue to shoot, set buildings on fire, and search for civilians.
Reinforcements, Clearing the Kibbutz and Evacuation
10:00 – Members of the standby squad engage in combat with terrorists at one of the central battle locations. The fighting lasts about 40 minutes, resulting in the terrorists being forced back and hastening their retreat from the area.
11:20 – The kibbutz security officer directs a combat helicopter toward the breach area. The helicopter performs fire suppression on the surrounding open areas, which results in a significant retreat of the terrorists from the kibbutz.
11:30 – The gunfire in the kibbutz area significantly decreases.
13:25 – A force of 40 soldiers and commanders from the commando school arrives at the kibbutz independently. Together with the standby squad, they move between the residents’ houses, eliminate seven more terrorists, and work to clear the area.
14:00 – The last terrorist in the kibbutz is neutralized. The forces complete their search of the houses, secure the area, and gather most of the residents in the kibbutz clubhouse.
00:00 – The kibbutz is fully cleared. The rescue and evacuation operations continue into the late hours of the night. The following day, on October 8th, during searches in the agricultural areas surrounding the kibbutz, eight additional terrorists who fled the scene are eliminated.
“Despite the destruction and loss, we will rebuild our home in Nirim” In response to the findings, Kibbutz Nirim stated: “The IDF investigation reinforces the extent of the abandonment we experienced on October 7. A whole community was left to defend itself, alongside brave soldiers who fell on Nirim’s soil. The report only underscores the urgent need for a national inquiry committee. Nothing is more important than bringing the hostages home.”
They added:
“We call on the government to prioritize this issue at the highest level. Despite the devastation and loss—we will rebuild our home in Nirim, more determined than ever, and we demand accountability from all who abandoned the residents of the Gaza envelope.”
