A comprehensive operational investigation regarding the battle in the area of Kibbutz Mefalsim, the Black Arrow memorial, and Sha'ar HaNegev Junction has been completed, and its findings have been presented to the members of the Mefalsim community and to the bereaved families.
The investigation, which lasted about a year and included interviews, operational records, video records, communication recordings, and intelligence materials, aimed to producean accurate picture of the events occurring between the 7th and 10th of October in the area. It focused on the sequence of events, battle management, and the conduct of military forces.
The investigation team, led by Colonel Arik Moyal, determined that the IDF failed in its mission to defend Kibbutz Mefalsim and the surrounding area. More than 200 terrorists attacked the kibbutz in three main waves – about 100 in the first wave, 50 in the second, and 150 in the third. Only about 30 of them actually entered Kibbutz Mefalsim itself. The terrorists carried out a massacre, abduction, looting, and other brutal crimes. The attack included infiltration on foot, by vehicles, and using paragliders.
Despite the initial systemic failure, the investigation praised the actions of the ISA and the Israel Police's YAMAM counterterrorism force. Their fight at Sha'ar HaNegev Junction and the entrance to the kibbutz saved many lives and prevented additional captives from being taken to the Gaza Strip. The IDF forces, both ground and aerial, together with the local civilian security coordinator and emergency squad, and other armed residents, received commendation for their role in stopping the terrorists' attacks.
During the battles, which were only some of the dozens of engagements during the invasion, thirteen security personnel fell, including six IDF soldiers, an ISA agent, and six YAMAM officers. Additionally, other soldiers and civilians were injured. In total, seventy-seven civilians were murdered in battles along Route 232.
The investigation divided the battle into three main investigation areas: Sha'ar Hanegev Junction, Kibbutz Mefalsim, and the area of the Black Arrow memorial. For each area, a timeline was sketched, mapping the events and battles that took place from the onset of the attack on October 7th until the achievement of operational control and clearing the last terrorists from Israeli territory on October 10th.
At around 06:30, a raid by about 30 terrorists began towards Kibbutz Mefalsim, while simultaneously about 50 terrorists raided Sha'ar Hanegev Junction and the area of the Black Arrow. The terrorists reached the junction around 07:07 and began firing at vehicles. A YAMAM force that was hit by terrorist gunfire continued to evacuate the injured. Subsequently, a significant YAMAM force gained control of the area but lost six officers in doing so. By 08:46, the fighting at the junction had ended, and another Israeli force arrived to secure it.
As the rocket attack sirens began to sound, terrorists began to break through the border fence and advanced on Mefalsim. The civilian security coordinator of the kibbutz assisted in evacuating residents, and at 06:56 he noticed gunfire directed at him and called in the civilian security squad. Five members of the civilian security squad began to engage oncoming terrorists at 07:10. At 08:00, about 30 terrorists broke into the kibbutz through the main gate, entered an area housing foreign workers, and abducted 12 of them. The civilian security squad thwarted another intrusion attempt from the southwest. At 09:30, a YAMAM and ISA force arrived and killed the terrorists at the entrance to the settlement. By the afternoon, it was safe for residents to evacuate themselves.
In the Black Arrow region, a mixed Israeli force identified about 10 vans and five motorcycles crossing the fence. Starting at 06:45, terrorists invaded through the Black Arrow memorial and set up ambushes on Route 232, opening fire on civilian vehicles. The Maglan and YAMAM special forces searched Route 232 and killed several terrorists. At 10:30, terrorists in the ambush opened fire at a YAMAM force exiting Mefalsim. During the fighting, a company commander in the 931st battalion, Captain Tal Grushka, was injured and died from his wounds. At 11:07, additional large forces arrived that killed many terrorists. Significant airstrikes dramatically halted the terrorists' advance.
Over the next three days, Israeli forces searched the area. On October 9, during the search, an attack helicopter targeted a location near the western fortified position at Sha'ar HaNegev. On October 10, a force from Brigade 551 engaged terrorists hiding in a group of trees, and additional soldiers were wounded and killed. The terrorists were run over by a tank that joined the fight. Another incident occurred at 17:00 on October 10, in which terrorists firing at a moving vehicle were killed.
The investigation concluded: "The IDF was not prepared for a scenario of widespread invasion as happened on October 7, which included multiple invasions by thousands of attacking terrorists in dozens of points simultaneously. The assumed scenario dealt with individual and pinpoint invasions, leading to the deployment as it was on the morning of the massacre."
"The determined action of the kibbutz civilian security coordinator, together with the civilian security squad, and the YAMAM and ISA forces, prevented the terrorists' attempt to abduct 12 foreign workers from Mefalsim. Additionally, IDF forces in the Black Arrow area halted the terrorists' advance and prevented another attack. The takeover of the YAMAM force at Sha'ar Hanegev Junction allowed many forces to move to fight in other areas, saving more lives. Airstrikes were effective in halting the enemy's attacks."
