IDF failed to protect Ofakim on Oct. 7, leading to death of 33 Israelis, incl. 25 civilians

Security forces in Ofakim, including police officers, armed civilians, and IDF soldiers were motivated to repel Hamas's Nukhba force terrorists, leading to the killing of all 15, the probe noted.

The IDF failed to defend Ofakim during Hamas’s October 7 massacre, during which 15 Nukhba Force terrorists infiltrated the city, murdering 25 civilians and eight security force members, as well as wounding many others, the military’s probe published on Tuesday found.

Security forces in Ofakim, including police officers, armed civilians, and soldiers, were motivated to repel the Nukhba terrorists, leading to the killing of all 15 gunmen throughout the defense of the city, the probe confirmed.

The main findings of the probe into Ofakim during Hamas's October 7 massacre

Security forces’ bravery in rapidly containing the terrorists was one of the main reasons for preventing the massacre from spreading further across Ofakim.

Their decision to isolate the area where the terrorists were entrenched and to wait for improved operational conditions proved effective, the probe found. These isolation efforts included a hostage rescue on Tamar Street and eliminating terrorists on Ha’chita Street.

The decision-making process of Israel Police’s Counterterrorism Unit (Yamam) was “commendable both morally and professionally,” the probe noted. The unit was successful in rescuing hostages unharmed “under extremely difficult operational conditions.”

Soldiers from the IDF’s Officer Training School (Bahad 1) arrived “relatively quickly” to reinforce Ofakim, but were not relevant to the battle, as control had been regained within 40 minutes of the infiltration.

However, the probe also noted that the decision to assign operational control to the commander of the Bahad 1 soldiers was appropriate, given how the battle was expected to develop and the possibility of further terrorist infiltrations, which could have been more serious.

The fighting to repel and kill the 15 terrorists took place within a dense urban area without clear defensive lines and positions, and included multiple battle zones, the probe found.

This led to a difficulty in identifying the sources of gunfire during the firefight, as there were many armed civilians in the area, making it difficult to distinguish between Israeli and terrorist forces, the probe noted.

A large number of residences in Ofakim’s Mishor Hagefen neighborhood in the west of the city lacked protected safe rooms, which led many civilians to remain in public spaces or communal shelters during the terrorist infiltration.

How was the probe conducted?

The military’s investigation lasted for approximately six months and included interviews and conversations with security forces who fought against terrorists, as well as Ofakim residents. The IDF also reviewed security camera footage, a police reenactment video, videos filmed by civilians, and findings from security service interrogations.

In addition to that investigation, the police are also conducting an investigation into the fighting in Ofakim, and may reach further conclusions, the military noted.

The military’s probe does not cover the conclusions and lessons learned from the fighting in Ofakim, as this is under the responsibility of the police’s investigation, the probe added.

The military’s research focused on how the Bahad 1 soldiers were deployed, and the issue of urban warfare inside Israeli territory.

Timeline of October 7, 2023 in Ofakim

It also published a timeline of the events on October 7, 2023, splitting the events into three phases. The first was the beginning of the terrorist attack, the second is how security personnel began to repel terrorist infiltrators, and the third deals with how the infiltrators were entrenched, with security personnel working to retake control of the area.

Phase 1: Beginning of the attack and engaging the terrorists (6:40-7:25 a.m.):

Hamas’s infiltration into Israel began at 6:23 a.m. At approximately 6:40 a.m., two pickup trucks carrying 15 terrorists infiltrated Israel, arriving at the Urim junction at 7:01, driving east on Route 241.

The terrorists murdered a civilian on the Peduyim promenade at approximately 7:06, before driving south towards the western entrance of Ofakim.

While driving southward, the terrorists fired at homes in Ofakim’s Mishor Hagefen neighborhood.

At the same time, an operations officer provided Israel Police with an initial status update.

At 7:08, the terrorists exited the trucks and began shooting at residents, beginning a killing spree.

At 7:10, the commander of Ofakim police station, while returning to Ofakim from the site of the Nova music festival, issued instructions to police officers via radio.

At 7:11, the terrorists moved north in three different directions, towards Mishor Hagefen.

At approximately 7:13, the terrorists noticed an ambulance that had been dispatched to treat the wounded. Terrorists opened fire on the ambulance, which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The driver was murdered.

Terrorists then moved towards Hagoren Street, where they murdered 11 civilians.

At the same time, a police officer, Bahad 1 IDF officer cadet, and a civilian formed a response team led by the police officer.

At 7:15, several police officers moved towards Bayit Vagan Street, engaging terrorists in battle.

At 7:16, the police officer and a civilian from the response team were killed in a firefight with the terrorists. The officer cadet was also wounded in the firefight.

At approximately 7:19, terrorists murdered another civilian on Pri Megadim Street.

At 7:23, a group of at least 10 terrorists split up, with at least five moving towards Tamar Street, while the others entered a civilian residence.

Phase 2: Regaining the initiative, beginning to repel terrorist infiltrators (7:25-7:45 a.m.):

At approximately 7:25, police officers and civilians moved towards Hagoren Street after the police’s Yoav Unit confirmed it as a central combat zone.

At approximately 7:32, a response team comprised of police officers and civilians was able to kill three terrorists at that location. Two police officers were also killed in the firefight.

Meanwhile, terrorists continued murdering civilians on Kramim and Tamar streets.

At 7:35, a team comprised of three police officers and one civilian killed a cell of three terrorists.

Simultaneously, several police officers, commanded by the police station chief, arrived near the civilian residence on Tamar Street where terrorists had barricaded themselves.

Shortly afterwards, terrorists murdered a civilian and a soldier who had left his home in the city to join the fight to repel terrorists.

At 7:40, the police station chief was wounded after terrorists threw a grenade at him from the residence on Tamar Street. He received medical treatment and was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba for further treatment.

Between 7:42-7:43, two additional terrorists were killed. At the same time, three terrorists murdered a civilian on Ha’chita Street.

Phase 3: Handling the terrorist entrenchment (7:45 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. on October 8):

By 8:30 a.m., the Negev District Police’s operations officer arrived at Tamar Street and assessed the situation around the residence where terrorists had barricaded themselves.

Along with two other police officers, he initially decided to breach the house, but reversed his decision after realizing that the terrorists were holding two hostages inside.

At this point, he ordered the fighting in the vicinity to be paused, the area to be isolated, and negotiations to release the hostages to begin.

At 9:10, the first company from Bahad 1 arrived at the Ofakim industrial zone.

Shortly afterwards, police officers arrived on Ha’chita Street and rescued a family from their home after three terrorists had broken in. After a few minutes of police searching for the terrorists, they located them and engaged in a firefight.

At 9:45, the company from Bahad 1 reached the scene, with a second company reaching the city a few minutes later.

At 9:59 a.m., the commander of the police’s central unit took command on Ha’chita Street. At 10:45, they were able to kill the last terrorist there.

At 12:45 p.m., the police’s Counterterrorism Unit took control of the hostage situation on Tamar Street.

An hour later, the Southern District police commander arrived and conducted a situational assessment.

At 2 p.m., the Ofakim police station chief returned from his medical treatment and rejoined the security forces.

At 2:30, two of the five companies that had arrived from Bahad 1 left to reinforce Kibbutz Kissufim.

At 3 p.m., command of the sector was transferred from the Negev District deputy commander to the district commander.

At 2 a.m. on October 8, the police’s Counterterrorism Unit conducted another situational assessment regarding the ongoing hostage situation at the civilian residence on Tamar Street.

At 2:14, officers from the Counterterrorism Unit began taking control of the house.

By 2:25, operational conditions had improved, and Counterterrorism Unit officers breached the home, killed the four terrorists remaining inside, and successfully rescued the two civilians unharmed.

At 3 a.m., the Counterterrorism Unit handed operational control back to police officers.

At 3:30, officers conducted a search, locating and killing an additional terrorist.