Kan 7.10.360 | The story of kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7th

A heavy rocket barrage is fired at Kfar Aza. Residents go into safe rooms. Avichai Brodutch, a member of the security squad, goes out to see the interceptions and films them

Three paragliders infiltrate Kfar Gaza carrying armed terrorists - two paragliders in the western neighborhood of the kibbutz and one in the northern area. Avichai Brodutch spots one of the paragliders, reports it to the security squad, and runs to his house to prepare for activation. Ynet photographer Roy Edan, who lives in the kibbutz, also notices the paragliders and manages to send the photos and video he captured on his camera to the website desk. He calls to report to the Ravshatz, Shahar Aviani, and runs to his house. At the same time, vehicles carrying dozens of terrorists infiltrate the kibbutz through three breaches they form in the fence.

Tal Eilon, commander of the emergency squad, asks his deputy, Avi Hindi, to open the armory in the center of the kibbutz. At 06:48, he tells all 13 other members of the security squad to prepare for activation. A minute later, Shahar Aviani, the Ravshatz, activates the squad: “This is not a drill! Please get to the armory! There are terrorists in the kibbutz.” The first to arrive are Uri Russo and Tal Eilon. They take guns and run towards the home of Roy Edan. On the way, Tal Eilon records a message: “Two or three terrorists in Roy Edan's house.” At about 07:00, Ofir Libstein, head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, arrives at the armory, takes up arms, and goes out to fight.

Aviv Baram, security squad member, reports hearing gunshots near the old gate of the kibbutz. He takes another member, Dekel Sayag, on a scooter, and together, they drive to the armory. On the way, they pass by a civilian vehicle in which a man has been shot, and a pickup truck from which terrorists have exited. Tal Eilon and Uri Russo, making their way to the house of Roy Edan, encounter a large force of terrorists. They manage to shoot some of them but are hit and killed. Just beforehand, injured Tal manages to send a final voice message to the security squad: “Eliminate them. We will treat those wounded later.” Ofir Libstein encounters the terrorists near his home and is also shot. Two hours later, his son, Aviv, would find him dead and take up his weapon to protect the family in the safe room.

The remaining members of the security squad arrive at the armory and are shot by an unidentified source. Ravshatz Shahar Aviani and his deputy, Avi Hindi, run to the lawn adjacent to the armory to eliminate the shooter but are immediately hit. Nadav Amikam runs to assist the two and is also hit. Bar Elisha arrives at the armory and sees a terrorist, in IDF uniform, on the nearby lawn. Bar runs after him, joined by Sergei Yankelevich, in the direction of the kibbutz’ kindergartens. Meanwhile, Aviv Baram runs toward the wounded that ate lying on the lawn, and he, too, is shot. He drags himself and hides behind a tree. Dekel Sayag calls the police and reports what is happening: “They are gunning us down here.” Idan Schlesinger, a member of the security squad, approaches the armory area. Wounded Aviv signals him not to come near and points towards a house that oversees the neighborhood from which the shots are being fired, thus saving his life. At 07:21, at Avi's request, Aviv calls Avi's wife, Shahar, and tells her that Avi loves her. Aviv also calls his wife, Rachel, and is then hit by an explosive charge and killed. Based on maps captured in the kibbutz, it is evident that the terrorists knew the buildings in it well and planned the ambush.

The remaining squad members in the armory realize that they are at a disadvantage and decide to exit it. Dekel Sayag and Ido Shamriz run to Shamriz's house. Bar Elisha and Sergei Yankelevich find themselves on one of the streets of the kibbutz and hide next to a shed. Dozens of armed terrorists reach that area and begin entering each house, murdering and kidnapping residents. Meanwhile, Yaniv Ohana finds himself alone. He encounters two terrorists and kills them. A sniper fires at him, and he finds a hiding place under a house

Avichai Brodutch manages to reach the situation room, which is located below the dining room, in the center of the kibbutz, where he alone battles a group of terrorists. At one point, they fire an RPG rocket into the situation room, and Avichai is wounded. In the squad's WhatsApp group, he calls for a rescue. Sergei Yankelevich, who left his hiding place earlier in order to kill a terrorist that passed nearby, runs on his own to assist him. Nearby the situation room, Sergei is wounded by gunfire at close range but manages to reach the situation room and treat himself. The two beg the group for a rescue. At 08:35, an IDF force first enters the kibbutz: a Golani' APC with 15 soldiers, that joins the battles. Three other vehicles would later join it.

Idan Schlesinger takes his wife and two daughters and drives by car at full speed to neighboring Kibbutz Saad, hundreds of meters from Kfar Aza. Three members of Saad enter Kfar Aza, directed by Schlesinger. They meet with Bar Elisha and together they fight terrorists, treat the wounded, and rescue families. They reach the situation room and provide primary care to the wounded Sergei and Avichai. Next to the Kibbutz' secretariat they come across a car in which David 'Kachko' Katzir, a kibbutz member, is sitting lifelessly. A resident of Kibbutz Saad testified that dozens of soldiers were staying outside Kfar Aza at the time. He reported that when he asked one of the officers nearby to send troops into Kfar Aza, he replied that it was not in their sector

Dozens of terrorists infiltrate the kibbutz at the gate of the “Young Generation” neighborhood in five vans and about 15 motorcycles. Alongside them, multitudes of Gazans, adults and children enter the kibbutz. The crowd gathers in a nearby grove, and in their hands are various weapons: guns, grenades, RPGs, knives, hoes, and agricultural tools. One of the terrorists cries a battle cry, after which everyone runs towards the neighborhood and begins to break into houses one by one - burning, murdering, and kidnapping. At 09:59, Ido Shamriz's brother, Alon, who lives in the neighborhood, writes, “They are in my apartment,” and then sends an emoji of a heart. This is the last message received from him before he was kidnapped.

Two policemen, Superintendent Keter Tzoran and Uriel Cohen, arrive at the kibbutz and try to eliminate the terrorists, while constantly asking for reinforcements. They reach Avihai Brodutch and Sergei Yankelevich, who lie wounded in the situation room, and receive information from them about the locations of the terrorists. The two leave the situation room, encounter terrorists, engage in gunfights, and are hit. While wounded, they continue to call for help and report: “Kfar Aza, people are being kidnapped here in front of our eyes! Come on! They're loading cars here!" Together with the two officers, two civilians and an officer enter the kibbutz and join the fighting.

From his hiding place, Yaniv Ohana calls his wife, who reports to him that there are terrorists in their house. Ohana drives home in a car. In the driveway, he encounters the terrorists and begins shooting at them; his hand is hit. He drives toward them at full speed and gets hit again. He manages to send a message to the security squad: “I've been hit. I'm losing a lot of blood. Come”

After only a few troops entered Kfar Aza, large forces arrive at the scene. Idan Schlesinger directs the forces to rescue the wounded via the WhatsApp group. The soldiers settle into ambushes for hours on end, rescuing family after family. As time passes, more troops join the fighting in the kibbutz.

After long hours of slow evacuation, with incessant fighting, family by family, IDF forces manage to clear a large area of the kibbutz and evacuate its residents. About fifty residents leave their homes and march on foot for about two kilometers, with incessant sounds of battle around them, to the intersection of the exit from the kibbutz.