The IDF failed in its mission to defend Kibbutz Sufa during Hamas’s October 7 massacre. However, response teams from the kibbutz’s emergency response squad, the IDF’s 80th Division, the Eilat Counterterrorism Unit, and the Israel Air Force’s 190th Squadron “acted quickly and courageously to prevent a more severe disaster,” the military probe published on Monday found.
Key conclusions from the investigation into Kibbutz Sufa:
The probe published key conclusions from the investigation.
Firstly, the IDF’s Gaza Division, including its Southern Brigade, was out of action for several hours, which disrupted the army’s ability to defend the area, including Sufa.
Secondly, Hamas’s attack included infiltrating through 11 points along the Kerem Shalom sector, which made it difficult for IDF troops to arrive and defend the settlements in the area.
Additionally, the decision of the sector’s company commander to send a tank to the kibbutz’s fence area at the beginning of Hamas’s infiltration was “crucial and valuable,” as it “reduced the intensity of the attack on the kibbutz and surrounding area.”
Soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion fought at the Dangur war monument, which commemorates the defense of Kibbutz Nirim during Israel’s Independence War in 1948.
This successfully stopped most of the terrorists in the first wave of infiltration from reaching Sufa, delaying their entry and reducing their numbers, thereby impacting the outcome of the fighting within the kibbutz.
Further, Sufa’s security officer “single-handedly” thwarted the first terrorist attack on the kibbutz and prevented the terrorists from carrying out their attempts to kill and kidnap civilians.
In addition, the kibbutz’s emergency response squad stopped the terrorist attack and saved many lives, despite difficult conditions and being outnumbered.
The reinforcements from the 80th Division and the Eilat Counterterrorism Unit prevented harm to civilians due to swift action, successfully killed terrorists who infiltrated the kibbutz, and played a key role in saving it, the probe found.
The IAF’s actions, particularly those of combat helicopters, were successful in targeting dozens of terrorists around the kibbutz and on access roads, which significantly reduced damage to the kibbutz.
Civilians and security forces who fought in the kibbutz showed great bravery, including risking their lives, the probe also noted.
What happened in Kibbutz Sufa on October 7?
During Hamas’s massacre on October 7, the terrorist infiltrators succeeded in killing a civilian resident and two members of the kibbutz’s security team.
The kibbutz was attacked by 50 terrorists, some of whom were successful in infiltrating. They were also able to cause significant damage to residences there.
The IDF’s Kerem Shalom Battalion, along with the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion, was responsible for the sector where Sufa is located at the time of Hamas’s infiltration at 6:23 a.m. on October 7, 2023.
The terrorists infiltrated the sector in vehicles and on foot, and IDF soldiers faced a “significant numerical inferiority,” the probe found.
A photograph shared by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit on October 11, 2023, showed an Islamic State flag that one of the terrorists infiltrating Sufa was carrying.
The timeline of events on October 7-8, 2023:
Phase 1: The attack begins (6:29 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.)
Shortly after Israel began receiving indirect fire from the Gaza Strip, including rocket launches, the commander of the IDF’s Sufa Regional Company ordered a tank to a controlling position overseeing the fence area.
From their position, the tank crew quickly noticed and identified a crew of terrorists approaching the fence.
At 6:41 a.m., the tank opened fire on the terrorists, achieving many successful hits, including those driving on pickup trucks and motorcycles. The probe also noted that the tank held and fought from that position for three hours.
At 6:45, the kibbutz’s security officer instructed members of the emergency response squad to prepare to defend the kibbutz from an infiltration but said they could remain in their homes at this stage.
Shortly afterward, a group of terrorists from Hamas’s Nukhba Force, riding two trucks and approximately 10 motorcycles, approached the kibbutz fence. They stopped at a junction northwest of the kibbutz, exited their vehicles, and resumed their advance.
Soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion intercepted and engaged in a firefight with the terrorists near the Dangur monument. During the firefight, four Nukhba Force terrorists split off from the main group, riding two motorcycles, and headed toward Sufa’s western gate.
At 6:52, the four terrorists arrived at the gate and attempted to infiltrate the kibbutz. After a few minutes, they succeeded in killing a member of Sufa’s emergency response squad who had driven to the gate in his personal vehicle.
After infiltrating Sufa, the four terrorists split into two groups and began a killing and vandalism spree.
At 6:53, the Sufa Regional Company commander instructed his soldiers to move out and protect Sufa, Holit, and Nir Yitzhak.
At 7 a.m., terrorists began attacking the border outpost near Sufa, managing to take operational control of it. Approximately 30 soldiers were trapped in the outpost’s dining hall. Nine soldiers were killed during the fighting there, with approximately 30 wounded.
At the same time, 19 soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion fought against terrorists near the Dangur monument. During this fight, four soldiers, including the commander of the Sufa Regional Company and a company commander from the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion, were killed, with six others injured.
Meanwhile, additional soldiers were wounded in nearby fighting, including an incident where seven crew members of an armored personnel carrier were hit by terrorist fire south of the outpost.
In addition, the deputy commander of the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion, who was also acting as the regional brigade commander at the time, was also killed on the access road to the Sufa outpost.
Several others in command positions were killed during the early hours of fighting in the region, including the commander of the IDF Southern Command’s Southern Brigade, and others were wounded, including its deputy commander.
Additionally, the commanders of the Nahal Brigade and its Reconnaissance Battalion were both killed while en route to reinforce the region.
Due to the intensity of the terror infiltration and the death and wounding of command officers, the soldiers focused on concentrating their fight against terrorists at the Sufa outpost and the Dangur monument and did not maneuver to defend nearby communities.
While this was occurring, the terror attack on Kibbutz Sufa itself continued.
At 7:29, four terrorists inside Sufa fired from outside a residence into the house, killing a civilian inside.
At 7:34, the kibbutz’s security officer spotted two out of the four terrorists near his own house, opened fire, and killed them.
Approximately 15 minutes later, he spotted the other two terrorists, opening fire and killing them. This marked the end of the first wave of attacks on Kibbutz Sufa.
Between 7:50 and 10:30 a.m., Sufa’s emergency response squad mobilized to fight the terrorists. No murders or kidnappings occurred on the kibbutz during this time.
Phase 2: The attack on the kibbutz resumes (from 10:30 a.m. until 11:53 a.m.)
At 10:30, approximately 30 terrorists concentrated in the orchards north of Sufa and began firing at residences on the kibbutz.
In response, Sufa’s security officer, emergency response squad, and two armed civilians moved to the northeast of the kibbutz, returning fire. During this firefight, a member of the emergency response squad was seriously injured and later succumbed to his wounds.
Later, several terrorists managed to infiltrate the kibbutz while under heavy fire from the emergency response squad.
Due to the heavy fire, the terrorists were unable to progress toward residences and resorted to taking cover in makeshift firing positions within the kibbutz. Other terrorists continued firing from the orchards until reinforcements from the IDF arrived at the scene.
A member of the emergency response squad was killed during these firefights.
Phase 3: IDF reinforcements arrive, halt the second wave (from 11:53 a.m. until 2 p.m.)
At 11:53 a.m., the first group of IDF reinforcements arrived at Sufa’s western gate. This included the deputy commander of the IDF’s 80th Division and six others, including the commander of the Eilat Counterterrorism Unit and three of his team members.
This small force entered Sufa and began searching for terrorist infiltrators.
At 12:20 p.m., they joined Sufa’s security officer and engaged in a firefight with terrorists in the northwest of the kibbutz. As part of this, they intercepted six terrorists who had infiltrated the kibbutz, killing them all.
Meanwhile, the exchanges of fire with terrorists positioned in the orchards outside Sufa continued.
During this wave of fighting, the 80th Division deputy commander contacted the commander of the Israel Air Force’s 190th Squadron, a combat helicopter pilot, and requested that his helicopter crew attack the dozens of terrorists positioned in the orchards.
The 190th Squadron commander did so, attacking terrorists in two waves, killing many, and successfully halting their fire toward the kibbutz.
Phase 4: Additional reinforcements arrive, kibbutz successfully cleared (from 2 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.)
At around 2 p.m., additional reinforcements from the Eilat Counterterrorism Unit and Yahalom Combat Engineers arrived at Sufa after being requested by the 80th Division and Southern Brigade.
These reinforcements entered the kibbutz and began clearing it. By the evening, the reinforcements from the 80th Division left the kibbutz, handing over responsibility for sweeping up terrorist infiltrators to Yahalom combat engineers.
The clearing sweeps of the kibbutz were completed at 6:30 p.m., when Yahalom combat engineers handed over responsibility for Kibbutz Sufa to soldiers from the IDF’s infantry training school.
Phase 5: Evacuating residents, continuing searches for terrorists (from 6:30 p.m. until the morning of October 8)
From the afternoon of October 7, and for several days afterward, various IDF groups, including armored units, infantry, engineers, fighter jets, and drone crews, carried out extensive searches in the area around the kibbutz.
During these searches, terrorists were identified in the orchards north of the kibbutz. Some were killed, while others surrendered and were captured.
The evacuation of Sufa’s residents was carried out on the morning of October 8 by its emergency response squad.