The local emergency squad was activated with the chilling message, ‘This is not a drill’.
By Hezy Laing
The battle for Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, stands as one of the most harrowing and heroic episodes in Israel’s modern history.
At dawn, approximately 250 heavily armed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists launched a coordinated assault on the kibbutz, located just three kilometers from the Gaza border.
The attackers breached the security fence using paragliders, pickup trucks, and motorbikes, entering through multiple points and overwhelming the community within minutes.
Residents were caught off guard, and the IDF—stretched thin across dozens of simultaneous attacks—was unable to respond immediately.
The local emergency squad was activated with the chilling message: “This is not a drill.”
The squad consisted of 14 volunteer defenders.
Activated within minutes of the attack, they were among the first to respond—armed with limited weapons and no warning of the scale of the assault.
Tragically, half of the squad was wounded almost immediately in a planned ambush near the kibbutz armory, where terrorists had anticipated their arrival and laid traps.
The remaining 7 members survived, though many were wounded and continued fighting under extreme conditions.
Despite the injuries and chaos, the remaining members fought with extraordinary courage.
They engaged in close-quarters combat, rescued wounded comrades, and tried to hold defensive positions while the kibbutz was being overrun.
Their actions bought precious time and prevented even greater loss of life, though they were vastly outnumbered and outgunned.
Some members, like Tal Eilon and Avichai Brodutch, became symbols of resistance—continuing to fight and protect civilians even after sustaining injuries.
Others were killed in action or taken hostage.
Their resistance delayed the attackers and helped protect other residents until IDF forces arrived hours later.
Their bravery has since been recognized as a defining moment of civilian heroism during the October 7 attacks.
For nearly two hours, the residents of Kfar Aza fought alone. The terrorists moved house to house, committing brutal acts of violence, including mass murder and abductions.
In total, 62 residents were murdered, including children and elderly. 19 others were taken hostage.
IDF forces did not arrive until nearly two hours into the onslaught, by which time dozens of civilians had already been murdered or abducted.
Once IDF units began to mobilize, the operation to retake Kfar Aza involved elite infantry brigades, armored vehicles, and air support.
The terrorists had entrenched themselves in civilian homes, using hostages and booby traps to slow the advance.
House-to-house combat ensued, with Israeli soldiers clearing buildings one by one under constant threat of ambush.
The battle lasted several days, making it one of the longest engagements of the October 7 attacks.
