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A bold tank maneuver and the determined resistance of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s first-response team helped prevent a far deadlier outcome during Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, an Israel Defense Forces investigation has found.
The probe, presented recently to residents of the southern Israeli community, acknowledged significant military failures, including delayed reinforcements, a breakdown in command and control and a lack of preparedness for the scale of the attack. But it also highlighted how the efforts of civilians and a single tank crew helped blunt the impact of a coordinated assault by more than 100 heavily armed terrorists.
The assault on Nir Yitzhak was part of Hamas’ broader surprise attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza border. At 6:29 a.m., the group launched a barrage of rocket fire from Gaza, followed within minutes by ground infiltrations at dozens of locations. At Nir Yitzhak, attackers stormed through the main gate in three waves.
During the initial phase, the IDF’s 934th Battalion, operating near Kerem Shalom, was outnumbered but attempted to support the kibbutz. The commander of the Sufa company ordered a tank to a commanding position overlooking the area. The tank crew killed more than 100 assailants and destroyed several vehicles before running out of ammunition and being disabled. The report credited this move with dramatically reducing the number of attackers who reached the kibbutz.
From 6:52 to 10 a.m., the kibbutz’s first-response team—residents trained and equipped for emergency defense—held defensive positions despite being under siege and cut off from reinforcements. At 7:33 a.m., seven gunmen breached the community, killing one responder and setting fires near a factory. At 9:06 a.m., about 25 terrorists returned through the main gate. Two injured team members continued to fight for 20 minutes before they were killed. The community’s security coordinator and two additional defenders were also killed in close combat.
Between 10:05 a.m. and 1:28 p.m., dozens of terrorists rampaged through homes, carrying out killings, looting and abductions. Five members of one family were kidnapped and the bodies of three members of the first-response team were taken into Gaza. The attackers withdrew from the area around 1:28 p.m.
IDF reinforcements arrived only afterward. Units from the Counter-Terrorism School, Duvdevan and the Arava team reached the kibbutz at 1:30 p.m. and conducted sweeps with surviving members of the first-response team. No terrorists remained in the area. An armored unit later killed terrorists in nearby fields and by 8 p.m., residents were evacuated to public buildings.
The final toll included six members of the first-response team killed, with two still held in Gaza, along with several residents wounded. Five civilians were kidnapped; three were released in November and two were rescued in a later operation.
The investigation, led by Brig. Gen. Itamar Ben Haim and Col. Eyalon Peretz, found that the IDF was unprepared for an attack of such magnitude. The report called for improved coordination with local defense teams, real-time intelligence sharing and more comprehensive training and readiness.
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While the report detailed multiple command and logistical failures, it underscored the courage of Nir Yitzhak’s defenders. “Their willingness to engage the enemy disrupted Hamas’ plans,” the report said.
Airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force were noted as contributing to reduced casualties, but the report emphasized that they could not compensate for the lack of ground preparedness. The probe concluded that only the swift and courageous action by local residents and frontline commanders prevented a much greater tragedy.