Kan 7.10.360 | The story of Moshav Pri Gan on October 7

Residents of Moshav Pri Gan wake up to the sounds of explosions and Red Color alarms and enter their safe rooms. A short time later, power outages that last throughout the morning begin in the moshav. Eliran Kadosh, the Deputy Ravshatz (Military Ongoing Security Coordinator), updates Niv Dulitzki, the Ravshatz, who is on vacation in Eilat, about the events.

Two members of Moshav's security squad, Eliran Kadosh and Nathan Ezri, hear gunshots near the Moshav. They come out armed and arrange to do scans together in the area. Niv Dulitsky, the Ravshatz (Military Ongoing Security Coordinator), informs that he is leaving Eilat for Pri Gan.

Eliran Kadosh, the deputy of the Ravshatz, covers himself and leaves with the Ravshatz vehicle towards the home of Nathan Ezri, a member of the security squad, to pick him up. He comes to the house and waits, but a minute later, he decides to start the scans independently. He drives along the fence toward the back gate as terrorist fire opens at him in rounds. His vehicle is damaged, but he continues his drive and sees that an explosive charge is loaded on the moshav gate. He reports in the military radio communication system of the infiltration of terrorists into Pri Gan.

Eliran Kadosh drives with the damaged vehicle back to his street. At the same time, near the parallel street, terrorists infiltrate the moshav. The streets are separated by agricultural lands. Eliran stops next to the foundation of an abandoned structure, tries to observe the nearby street, and sees a group of terrorists in the courtyard of the Pitusi family home. The terrorists walk calmly around the house and do not notice him. He tries to shoot at them. However, the shooting is ineffective due to the considerable distance. He continues to watch in case the terrorists try to disperse throughout the moshav. Later, he is joined by a member of the security squad, Boaz Ben Baruch, armed with a pistol.

The 71-year-old security squad member, Nathan Ezri, is advancing to an observation post in his garden. As the terrorists try to go up the street towards the center of the moshav, he opens fire in their direction and manages to obstruct them. Ten terrorists set up headquarters near the first houses of the moshav: the empty house of Ravshatz Niv Dulitsky and the homes of the Pitusi, Shemaya, and Ben-Naim families.

The Ravshatz of Hevel Shalom, Lotem Nagar, meets Ofakim police officer Avi Sidon and Border Police fighter from Yamas unit on Highway 232 in a shelter. They volunteer to get on Lotem's van to lock gates at the entrances to the moshav. They lock the gate to the agricultural area of Pri Gan from the side of the road and move on; however, they hear fierce gunfire from inside Pri Gan. A moment later, they receive a report from Eliran Kadosh on the military radio communication system, who reports that he was shot. They drive quickly towards the moshav through the agricultural terrain.

Lotem and two members of the security forces arrive at the gate of Pri Gan and spot signs of a bomb explosion on the gate. They jump over the gate to Hageffen Street where the terrorists are hiding. As they advance on the path, fire opens towards them. Lotem manages to get on the military radio communication system and reports an encounter with terrorists armed with grenades, RPGs and Kalashnikovs. Avi covers for the Yamas fighter and Lotem as they run towards the Pitusi family home. The terrorists attack them and the Yamas fighter is wounded. Lotem goes out to extract him. The terrorists surround Avi and kill him at close range. One of the terrorists takes his rifle.

The Ravshatz of the nearby moshav Shlomit, Benny Meshulam, hears the call for help on the military radio communication system from Pri Gan. He arrives at the moshav with two of Shlomit's security squad members, Oz Sassoon and Boaz Biran. They enter at the main gate and Nathan Ezri signals for them to stop and cover up for them. They get out of the vehicle and walk through the farms to the fighting zone. The terrorists shoot them between the houses. Boaz is hit in the shoulder, Oz gets a bullet in the thigh and falls next to him. Boaz shouts to Benny that he is wounded and everyone pulls back. Oz calls for help in the security squad's WhatsApp group. Other security squad members from Shlomit head towards Pri Gan: Yehuda Rabinovich, Reouven Chicheportiche, Moshe Abuksis and Michael Gottsman. They enter the moshav through the main entrance straight into the inferno. In the same minutes, Michael Gottsman is seriously wounded by the terrorits' gunfire.

A third force from Shlomit's security squad, Oz Glick and Aviad Gad Cohen, join the fighting in the moshav. Bechor Swid, another Shlomit's security squad member, also hears the calls for help. He sets off with his vehicle toward Pri Gan from a visit to his family in Moshav Shuba, in the Gaza Envelope. At the Magen Junction, he encounters a squad of terrorists and is killed fighting them.

Aviad Gad Cohen and Oz Glick of Shlomit enter Pri Gan and advance on the main road. They notice Reouven Chicheportiche who points them towards him. While running Oz twists his leg, falls and starts crawling towards Michael Gottsman and Moshe Abuksis. Aviad joins Reouven and they hide behind a circuit box. They fire at the source of fire and absorb accurate return fire. At 9:03 Aviad is hit by a bullet at the top of the ceramic vest and is killed on the spot. Reouven shouts “Aviad is hurt”, approaches him and tries to pull him to a place of shelter. At 9:05 Reouven is also struck and killed. At this hour, the five members of the security squad are wounded while the gunfire around them continues without pause.

At the peak of the fighting, the terrorists get on motorcycles and leave the moshav through the gate from which they entered.

Soldiers from the Caracal Battalion arrive at the moshav along with two other resident from Shlomit, Ashi Kops and Akivah Shabat. In those hours there is no certainty that the terrorists have left and Moshe Abuksis divides the Caracal forces into two squads. He takes a launcher from one of the soldiers and fires three grenades towards the houses where the terrorists were staying. The soldiers storm the houses thinking that the terrorists are still staying in them. Moshe Abuksis enters the Ben-Naim family home alone. As he enters the house he notices a non-detonated grenade and realizes that the terrorists have trapped the house and fled.

Ravshatz Niv Dulitzki comes from Eilat and connects with Eliran Kadosh, Boaz Ben Baruch and Avi Tvito who came from outside the moshav. They begin scans between the houses and help to rescue the besieged residents.

After the fighting, additional IDF troops from the Officers Training Center (Bahad 1) arrive and carry out thorough scans between the houses of the moshav.