The heroic battle at the Sufa outpost became one of the symbols of the war in Gaza after its fighters stopped the Hamas terrorists on October 7 in heroic battles from point-blank range.
It also became, to a large extent, a symbol of the story of all the borderline outposts in the Gaza Division, which suffered for long hours massive attacks by thousands of terrorists - attacks during which soldiers fell and were abducted into the Strip, and the outposts themselves suffered heavy damage and widespread destruction of infrastructure.
In the Technology and Logistics Division of the IDF, they managed to accomplish the unbelievable - rehabilitating 13 out of 14 outposts that were centers of destruction, shooting, arson, and looting on October 7.
The effort was led by the head of the IDF and infrastructure department in the wing's logistics division, Col. Maayan Liner, and this week the renovated outposts were officially handed over to the Gaza Division.
This excludes the Nahal Oz outpost, which will be demolished after most of its infrastructure is destroyed.
In addition to the renovated outposts, new battalion command posts will be built in the sector, using construction methods and architecture that have not been used before - subject to the General Staff's work in the Ground Forces, aiming to implement the lessons learned from the war.
From the second week of the war, officers of the Technology and Logistics Division and the contractors responsible for the rehabilitation and renovation of the outposts' infrastructure operated under the shadow of continuous mortar and rocket attacks towards the rear, and also assaults by terrorists who infiltrated Israeli territory.
"They worked in the outposts while the area was still defined as a combat zone, with helmets and personal armor," the division's officers report. "Throughout the day, launches and alarms were heard. What kept them going was the understanding of the event's magnitude and its importance to the IDF and our soldiers."
The flagship project of the renovations was, as mentioned, the Sufa outpost. At its entrance, one can still clearly see the motorcycles and tenders used by the terrorists to infiltrate Israel; at the pillbox position, signs of gunfire and black soot from an anti-tank missile strike are noticeable.
"During the renovation works, we had to accommodate reserve and regular soldiers in some rooms - and also bereaved parents who came to see the outpost or to take personal equipment of the soldiers."
This situation, the Technological Corps officers report, provided some heartbreaking moments. "We are not only rehabilitating but also rebuilding anew."
They added, "Leaving no trace of what happened before. We rebuilt showers and living quarters. Even the dining room, where the soldiers fought and were hit by terrorists' gunfire and almost 20 grenades, was fully renovated."
And what do the soldiers themselves think?
"We are very satisfied with the renovations," says a soldier from the Desert Reconnaissance Battalion to Walla. "I have known this outpost for years, and they renovated it to a high standard: showers, toilets, bedrooms, dining room. Initially, it was hard to see the destruction, but now everything is like new."
The Technological Corps officers, who oversaw the renovation of the Sufa outpost, were amazed to discover the extent of the weaponry that had hit the outposts.
"It's an unreasonable amount. On some of the building's floors, the engineering structure withstood their attacks, but on others, it didn't
"One of the outposts withstood an attack and was nicknamed 'Fortress Outpost' by us. We are learning from this and will implement these lessons in the new outposts we build later, with significant improvements in escape routes, command and control, defensive components, obstacles, and more.
"The entire defensive concept of the IDF along the Gaza Strip border will change."
According to Walla, based on the General Staff's work, led by Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Oren Avman, the IDF will invest in building additional outposts for brigades and battalions that will implement new methods of warfare and defense against aerial and ground attacks.
On October 7, the Sufa outpost suffered immense heavy damage. Over 70 Hamas terrorists swarmed the outpost, blew up the security fence, and attacked the forces defending the area.
The terrorists encountered staunch resistance from the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit and the 50th Battalion, prepared at the entrance to the outpost and within it.
In the battles against dozens of terrorists, the deputy commander of the Caracal Battalion, commanded by Col. Or Ben Yehuda, as well as a platoon of tank crews, IDF combat helicopters, and Shayetet 13 fighters, assisted in eliminating the terrorists and clearing the outpost, which suffered severe infrastructure damage from the terrorists' explosives and fires.
In the battles, IDF forces killed over 50 terrorists. Silent testimony to the attack on the outpost are the terrorists' motorcycles found at its entrance and the tenders they drove in - before being crushed by tank crews from the Caracal Battalion.