Kan 7.10.360: The Story of Kerem Shalom on October 7th

Red Color alarms sound throughout the kibbutz. A Nahal Reconnaissance Force , which was in the area, realizes this is an unusual event and heads towards it. About 10 minutes later, the members of the security squad also begin to prepare. They split into three points in the kibbutz and spread out throughout the perimeter.

The military situation room of Kerem Shalom Base reports to the Kibbutz Ravshatz, Eliya Ben Shimol, of terrorists who managed to enter the Kerem Shalom sector

An RPG is fired at an IDF “David” jeep, in which there were three Nahal Reconnaissance Unit fighters. A fierce battle ensues near the entrance to the kibbutz, where unit member, Yaron Shay, is killed. At the same time, members of the Chaimovich family report to the Ravshatz that they see terrorists in front of their house. The Ravshatz, together with the Nahal soldiers, heads for the house

The Nahal force along with the Ravshatz arrives at the house of the Chaimovich family. Another military force of three fighters follows them. There, they begin battling four terrorists, who are all eliminated.

Seven terrorists blow up one of the barricades at the entrance to the kibbutz, and manage to reach its central part. One of the terrorists enters the Teitelbaum family home, starts shooting, and searches for the family. There are two safe rooms in the family home, and the terrorist who entered only one of them apparently thought the house was empty and went outside. There, the security squad kills him and the other terrorists who came with him

Ten terrorists attempt to infiltrate from the solar farm area east of the kibbutz. The security squad eliminates them all, and the Nahal fighters remain in the nearby gate to continue and secure the area.

Ravshatz Ben Shimol realizes that more terrorists are on their way, and he tries to call for help from the Armored Corps, but there is no longer a response from the IDF. Four minutes later, an operations sergeant calls back and reports that terrorists have raided Kerem Shalom Base and that they have no way to help because they are hiding themselves.

A combat helicopter arrives in the area. It is unable to identify the terrorists hiding in the solar farms, so it launches a missile towards the open area, to test the terrorists' reaction. Dozens of terrorists do emerge from their hideouts, apparently thinking they have been discovered. The helicopter fires at the terrorists moving towards the kibbutz and hits them.

The Schindler family reports to the Ravshatz that they hear voices speaking Arabic outside the house. Two minutes later, the family calls again to ask for help, since the terrorists are already inside the house. The security squad heads there. The terrorists manage to blow up the safe room's door when the security squad arrives on the scene. A battle ensues, during which two members of the security squad, Amichai Weitzen and Yedidiya Raziel, are killed. The terrorists leave the house and are all killed outside. The squad members place a tourniquet on the left hand of the father, Amichai, who was seriously injured by the explosion of the safe room door. Three medics, members of the kibbutz, Roni and Ofer Kissin and May Caspi, come under fire to continue treating Amichai. The mother and six children remain in the safe room until their rescue, and the security squad members carry the two slain friends out with them. They encounter more terrorists and kill them as well.

A group of terrorists blows up part of the concrete blocks wall of the kibbutz. Members of the security squad flank that area in order to prevent more infiltrations. Few minutes after, an RPG missile is fired from the breach in the wall, seriously wounding security squad member Yair Wiesner. A doctor who was staying with one of the members of the kibbutz that Saturday arrives at the scene to treat Yair, along with three medics who were staying at the kibbutz.

A tank arrives at the scene and is stationed in front of the barricades at the entrance. Meanwhile, the wounded and dead are evacuated to the kibbutz secretariat building. The Schindler family, in whose house the battle took place, is evacuated to the home of another family

A large force of a Commander Course from the 450th Battalion, numbering about 50 fighters, arrives to assist. The force conducts scans to rule out the presence of other terrorists in the perimeter. An hour later, a heavy rocket barrage begins. Fighter Natan Liar is hit by shrapnel and killed

The security squad evacuates the wounded and dead to Naveh, to a improvised medical point in the Atzmona pre-military institution. Amichai Schindler is evacuated by helicopter to Tel Hashomer Hospital

From the afternoon until the next day at 14:00, the kibbutz is attacked several more times by more terrorists trying to infiltrate, but all attempts are thwarted. After about 40 hours in the afternoon, at 20:00 all residents are evacuated to a hotel in Eilat.