The operational investigation into the October 7, 2023 battle at Moshav Ein Habesor has concluded, with findings presented to local residents.
The investigation, led by Col. (res.) Ziv Beit-Or and approved by then-Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, determined that the IDF failed in its mission to protect the community.
According to the report, the initial defense and eventual repulsion of the terrorists were carried out largely by the community’s standby security squad and local residents who spontaneously joined the fight. Their actions prevented a far greater tragedy. IDF and Border Police forces later joined the battle and assisted in the terrorists’ retreat from the area.
During the attack, two residents were wounded and evacuated under fire by fellow community members. Their evacuation and medical treatment, carried out entirely by locals, were praised in the investigation.
According to the investigation, approximately 16 terrorists took part in the attack. Three were hit during the fighting, though their exact condition remains unknown. The investigation spanned several months and was based on interviews with members of the standby security squad, local residents, and security personnel. It also included reenactments, observations, video footage, social media posts, investigative findings, and intelligence materials.
The report’s authors aimed to reconstruct as accurate a timeline as possible of the events that unfolded in Ein Habesor on the day of the attack. The report notes that additional details may emerge in the future.
On the day of the assault, the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade was deployed in the sector at 5:30 a.m. as part of "Dawn Readiness." The soldiers encountered a large-scale attack involving both precise fire and terrorist infiltrations on foot. According to the report, the multiplicity of combat zones and damage to both battalion and brigade command structures severely impaired the IDF’s ability to respond and defend Ein Habesor.
The team divided the timeline of the attack into three main stages.
Phase A: Terrorist Infiltration and Initial Response (06:29-07:50):
At 06:29, as rocket fire began targeting the area, the local security coordinator issued a warning and activated the standby squad. Trained residents, including members of the local defense group (YAMAR group), joined in. A terrorist cell of approximately 16 terrorists infiltrated from the Gaza Strip using a pickup truck and a motorcycle, armed with assault rifles, RPGs, grenades, radios, and sniper rifles.
The terrorists traveled west, passed south of Kibbutz Nir Oz, crossed the area near Kibbutz Magen, and by 07:50 had reached the gas station in Magen. After robbing it of food and cash, they continued toward Ein Habesor.
Phase B: Attack on Ein Habesor and Terrorist Withdrawal (07:50-08:36):
At 07:54, the terrorists opened fire on the entrance gate of the moshav. At that time, the standby squad had only four fighters. One was soon wounded and evacuated. Simultaneously, terrorists flanked from the north and attempted to breach the fence. A standby squad member spotted them, opened fire, and hit one, but was also injured and evacuated by a local soldier.
Fire continued until 08:08, when the terrorists fired an RPG that hit a nearby tree. They then withdrew from the junction. Around that time, Border Police units from Ofakim arrived at the Ein Habesor junction, including the Eshkol district commander and the community officer, en route to resupply.
En route, the Border Police encountered the terrorists near the Magen gas station, exchanged fire, and withdrew. Shortly afterward, they joined forces with a Golani Battalion unit. At 08:26, a confrontation occurred with the terrorists in the northwest of the moshav. Golani and Border Police troops dismounted from their vehicles and returned fire. This marked the final encounter in the battle for Ein Habesor.
The terrorists retreated south and west, likely continuing to participate in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz before returning to Gaza.
Phase C: Evacuation of the Wounded and Continued Fighting (08:30 onward):
The evacuation of the wounded was carried out under fire by residents. One injured standby squad member was initially taken to a protected area, then transported in a private vehicle via the moshav’s back gate. During the drive, the rescuers encountered terrorists east of the Maon Junction, and the wounded man was hit again, this time more seriously.
The vehicle fled back to the moshav. The injured man was treated by a local doctor and then evacuated in a private ambulance driven by another resident, accompanied by a local escort vehicle. The ambulance crossed the Besor stream and reached Route 232, where a mobile intensive care unit was waiting and transferred him to Soroka Medical Center.
Another injured resident was also treated by locals and later evacuated to the hospital.
Key findings:
1. The IDF failed to protect Ein Habesor.
2. The local standby squad and a large number of residents fought courageously, pushed back the terrorists, and prevented a massacre. Their fighting prevented enormous damage and killing.
3. Residents continued securing the area for several days after the massacre, with minimal IDF presence.
4. Community members, experienced and trained in emergency medical care, rescued and treated the wounded under fire.
5. The IDF struggled to form a clear situational picture due to the widespread nature of the fighting and the breakdown in command. An initial situational picture was formed only in the afternoon of October 7.
6. In the initial hours, coordination and command between units in the sector were severely lacking.
7. A local emergency HQ was established by residents shortly after the battle, managing communication, updates, and evacuation efforts.
Residents of Ein Habesor responded: “We appreciate the IDF representatives who stood before us with courage and transparency, apologized for the failure to protect the border communities on October 7, provided answers to difficult questions, took responsibility openly, and promised that the lessons learned would shape present and future conduct.”