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In the coming weeks, the IDF is set to release a series of investigations into the October 7 Hamas attacks on communities in southern Israel, including those in the Gaza border region and the western Negev.
The central theme emerging from these investigations is the military’s failure to defend Israeli communities, an assessment that has been widely acknowledged, with officials taking responsibility. However, following the release of findings regarding Kibbutz Be’eri, public outrage led the IDF to pause the publication of additional reports.
Terrorists rampage through Sderot on October 7
Despite this, newly appointed Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed officials to accelerate the completion of the investigations, pushing for the release of outstanding findings.
One of the most anticipated reports, now in its final stages, focuses on security failures in the town of Sderot. The investigation reveals significant lapses within the military, but also places blame on local authorities, including the Sderot Municipality and its security division.
The report highlights the town's inability to respond effectively to the Hamas assault, despite having years of experience transitioning between routine and emergency situations due to ongoing security threats.
On October 7, 22 members of Sderot’s civilian alert squad were present in the town. Unlike the armed security teams in other Gaza border communities, whose M-16 rifles had been confiscated per military orders, Sderot’s municipal security division voluntarily handed over its weapons to the Gaza Division, without any directive to do so.
This decision was made unbeknownst to Mayor Alon Davidi, and after the handover, no one informed him that the alert squad had been left without automatic weapons. The rifles were stored in a military armory for an extended period.
Although Gaza Division officials later recommended that the municipal security division retrieve the weapons and rearm the team, nothing was done due to concerns that the weapons could be stolen from members’ homes. As a result, when the October 7 attack began, alert squad members were left armed only with personal handguns, severely limiting their ability to engage the dozens of Hamas terrorists who stormed the town.
The investigation also reveals that, prior to October 7, Sderot's longtime security chief, Kobi Harush, had resigned due to health reasons, and his successor, Ronen Gabay, had no prior security experience, having previously served as Mayor Davidi’s driver.
Upon taking office, Gabay began the process of retrieving the weapons his predecessor had handed over, but the bureaucratic process dragged on. The delay was largely due to a requirement that emergency responders install safes in their homes to store the rifles—a costly process that lacked funding and clear oversight.
Harush had stepped down in summer 2022 after being diagnosed with cancer and required to undergo life-saving treatments. Military protocol required him to return all weapons under his authority until a replacement was formally appointed on January 1, 2023. However, months of bureaucratic delays in the municipality stalled the official appointment, leaving no one authorized to sign for the weapons.
Even when the alert squad was eventually approved for rearmament, bureaucratic obstacles resurfaced—this time over the lack of safes required for storing M-16 rifles, further delaying the process.
Mayor learned of the shortage – on the day of the massacre
Another critical finding from the investigation: Mayor Davidi was entirely unaware that members of the town’s alert squad lacked automatic weapons. He only discovered this fact on the day of the attack. The investigation further revealed that Sderot’s alert suqad had not undergone the required training and drills, which fall under the responsibility of the IDF. The town’s security coordinator, like all other security coordinators, operates under the IDF’s authority and works directly with it.
Today, the situation in Sderot is different. Following the events of October 7, the town decided to establish a large security division. It is headed by Eran Guez, a retired IDF lieutenant colonel with a background in combat and intelligence, who has built a significant and efficient security framework for the residents. The security division has substantial budgets and personnel allocations. It also oversees the municipal supervision unit, managed by Tal Mehai, which consists of dozens of young inspectors, most of whom are veterans of IDF combat units.
The battle of the Sderot police station on October 7, 2023
(Video: Shin Bet)
As part of the conclusions drawn from October 7, it was decided that the security coordinator’s role would now fall under the new head of the security division. This means that Gabay would report to Lt. Col. (res.) Guez. The two clashed repeatedly, mainly over authority issues, to the point of a complete breakdown in their relationship, including shouting matches in various forums.
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Ultimately, Mayor Davidi decided to remove Gabay from his position and conducted a hearing for him earlier this month. A process will now begin to find a new security coordinator. Gabay, however, intends to fight to keep his job and may take legal action.
Gabay was seriously wounded on October 7 when he engaged the terrorists who had barricaded themselves inside the Sderot police station. Regarding that infamous battle, the investigation found that a large number of police forces arrived at the station but remained concentrated there, failing to spread out across the town or provide responses to other attack sites. The reason for this, it appears, is that officers had clearer situational awareness from their colleagues at the police station but were less informed about the other attack locations throughout the town.
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![Sderot police station reduced to rubble after heavy fighting against Hamas terrorists, October 8, 2023 (Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP) תחנת משטרת שדרות](https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto/picserver6/crop_images/2023/10/08/Skr41JlZp/Skr41JlZp_0_0_3000_2000_0_x-large.jpg)
![Sderot police station reduced to rubble after heavy fighting against Hamas terrorists, October 8, 2023 (Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP) תחנת משטרת שדרות](https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto/picserver6/crop_images/2023/10/08/Skr41JlZp/Skr41JlZp_0_0_3000_2000_0_x-large.jpg)
Sderot police station reduced to rubble after heavy fighting against Hamas terrorists, October 8, 2023
(Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP)
Many police officers in Sderot lost their lives defending the town, saving countless others. As in other communities near Gaza, the defenders of Sderot were heavily outgunned and outnumbered, similar to those in Kibbutz Be’eri and Kfar Aza. In Sderot alone, there were at least 11 active combat zones on October 7. Two of them are well known to the public: the battle at the police station and the horrific massacre of a group of pensioners on their way for a day trip to the Dead Sea.
Why were the shelter doors locked?
Another crucial issue raised in the investigation is the question—why did the doors of the town's public bomb shelters remain locked on the day of the massacre? This can be understood through the claims made by the victims' families.
Recently, a massive lawsuit was filed in the Tel Aviv District Court by the families of the victims of the so-called "Pensioners' Massacre" in Sderot, in which 13 elderly people were murdered in a Hamas ambush. The lawsuit, totaling NIS 12 million ($3.36 million), was filed by eight families of the victims, accusing the Sderot municipality and Motorola of severe negligence that led to the massacre due to a critical failure in the Gatekeeper smart shelter system.
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![Senior citizens standing outside the locked shelter in Sderot shortly before Hamas terrorists appeared yk14115353](https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto/picserver6/crop_images/2024/10/13/yk14115353/yk14115353_0_104_360_203_0_x-large.jpg)
![Senior citizens standing outside the locked shelter in Sderot shortly before Hamas terrorists appeared yk14115353](https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto/picserver6/crop_images/2024/10/13/yk14115353/yk14115353_0_104_360_203_0_x-large.jpg)
Senior citizens standing outside the locked shelter in Sderot shortly before Hamas terrorists appeared
Thirteen senior citizens were murdered in that attack in Sderot while on their way to a spa day at the Dead Sea. At 6:30 a.m., as a massive rocket barrage began targeting the town, their minibus suffered a flat tire, leaving them stranded by the roadside near a municipal smart shelter.
This smart shelter, operated by Motorola, was supposed to open automatically in emergencies and during an air raid siren. It was equipped with a heavy door that could be locked from the inside. However, when the elderly passengers attempted to enter, the system failed—the doors remained locked, and all attempts by both the victims and passing police officers to open them were unsuccessful. Minutes later, Hamas terrorists arrived in pickup trucks and slaughtered all 13 elderly individuals, who stood helpless and unprotected beside the locked shelter.
Had the shelter doors opened, the lawsuit claims, the terrorists would have likely continued driving past without noticing the group, and their lives would have been spared. The lawsuit was filed by the families of the victims: Zinaida Beilin, Lyudmila Furman, Valery Friedman, Igor Kurtzer, Nadezhda Sprivchakov, Berta Shmiayev-Batsian, Michal Zerbailov and Lilia Giller.
The IDF said in response: "On October 7, the IDF failed in its mission. However, IDF soldiers, reservists, alert squads and civilians fought heroically throughout the Gaza border region. The findings presented in this article do not constitute an official IDF investigation. The IDF is conducting its own inquiry into the events of October 7 and their preceding circumstances, including the battle in Sderot. Once the investigation is completed, it will be transparently presented to the bereaved families, residents and subsequently, the public."
The Sderot Municipality stated: "On October 7, members of the alert squad and the security coordinator fought bravely alongside IDF soldiers, police officers, commanders, reservists and civilians to stop the attack and save lives. The security coordinator, Ronen Gabay, was wounded by terrorist gunfire during the battle at the police station, was evacuated by medical teams and hospitalized.
"Regarding the alert squad—firstly, it is important to note that such teams are operated and overseen by the IDF. The IDF determines the number of team members in each community and is responsible for ensuring that all members are equipped with firearms, which unfortunately did not happen on the morning of October 7.
"Regarding the weapons issue—in August 2022, when the town's previous security coordinator completed his tenure, he decided to return the weapons to the army. The town's leadership was unaware of this, and from its perspective, the alert squad continued to operate as usual. After appointing a new security coordinator—a process that took several months—the alert squad was restructured and underwent several training sessions.
"As part of rebuilding the team, applications were submitted to the National Security Ministry to issue firearm licenses as required. However, the process was delayed because the previous security coordinator had failed to return the IDF-issued weapon storage facilities for team members’ homes. As a result, on October 7, alert squad members did not have long rifles but went out to fight with their handguns.
"Today, following the mayor’s directive and actions taken by the security division, the alert squad now includes over 100 members, all equipped with long rifles and full gear.
"Regarding the shelter near the library—a lawsuit has been filed in court by some of the victims' families, and therefore, we are unable to comment on the matter."