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An order given by the Gaza Division to move troops away from the border with Gaza on October 7 did not reach the infantry and armored troops on the ground. This mishap ended up saving Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha residents from being massacred, as was the fate of many of their neighbors during the Hamas terrorists' assault, according to the IDF investigation into the battle there.
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Young people from Ein Hashlosha evacuate during October 7 massacre
The troops encountered invading Nukhba terrorists nearing the kibbutz from Khan Younis. Because of its location along the border, Ein Hashlosha would have been without any military response until late in the afternoon because forces rushed to the area, were blocked by ambushes set up by the terrorists who had taken control of the main intersections, or were engaged in fighting elsewhere. Nirim, Kissufim and Nir Oz were similarly on their own and their security teams were left to fight off the invasion, while the presence of forces at Ein Hashlosha prompted the Nukhba terrorists who infiltrated the Kibbutz to flee.
The terrorists arrived during the first wave of attack at 6:45 a.m. They murdered three civilians, including the head of the security team and burned the fourth, Marcel Talia who was living alone, to death, when they set her house on fire. They left soon after, without abducting any of the 269 residents present that morning. The IDF probe found that other than the security team commander, who faced the terrorists and was killed before 7 a.m., none of the three remaining members of the team were armed and remained in at home on inside the local synagogue, after they were instructed to shelter in place. They said, according to the findings, that they felt outnumbered, although the second wave of infiltrators included dozens of mostly unarmed looters.
Still, the military's attitude toward the security team in the kibbutz was also lacking and most of the weapons assigned to them were kept in the Brigade headquarters to prevent theft, leaving the security team without means to protect the kibbutz and even without communication devices. This was after two drills conducted in the previous months, simulating an invasion by terrorists.
"The kibbutz war room and security team was without equipment, although it was identified as a target and the terrorists threw a grenade into it when they attacked," the IDF findings said. "The Kibbutz fence as the cameras positioned on its two gates, was seen more as a measure to prevent theft than to defend the community and was not connected to the security team." Only 4 of the 16 members of the team were provided with IDF weapons."
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Marcel Talia was killed on October 7, she was visiting her daughter Liora Ben Tzur
(Photo: Courtesy)
Of the 15 Hamas terrorists who entered the Kibbutz and then fled, some returned to Gaza and others joined terrorists in their massacre in nearby Nir Oz and the Nova music festival.
The IDF investigation found that members of the security team were told by the commander at 6:50 AM that shots were heard from nearby Kibbutz Nirim and were instructed to "gear up and be prepared." Matan, one member of the team, was able to kill an armed terrorist who entered his home and hid his body to keep it from the other terrorists who were sill in the Kibbutz.
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No forces arrived to assist the Kibbutz during the morning hours and help came when members called on family in the West Bank, an hour's drive away, to come with their weapons. Two of those called were the first people who came to the rescue, arriving after 1 PM, followed by a 20-man Border Police force, 40 minutes later. The first IDF soldiers arrived at 3:15 PM when no terrorists remained.
During the second wave of infiltrators, most of whom were unarmed and engaged in looting, one Palestinian spoke to a family at the Kibbutz in good English and told them he had studied in Germany. He did not leave before he helped himself to iPhones, laptops, alcohol and jewelry.
Residents began evacuating themselves from the Kibbutz in the evening hours, but when the IDF came to evacuate the remaining residents the next day, the troops forgot about the foreign workers from Thailand who remained there for an additional day while Hamas terrorists were still in the area.