The return of four observer soldiers – Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev – gripped the nation.
Their release last Saturday, following over a year in Hamas captivity, brought a tidal wave of emotion. From the images of their public humiliation on the Hamas stage to their transfer through the Red Cross, back to the embrace of the IDF, and finally home to their mothers – it was a saga that defied comprehension.
The joy was palpable, and tears flowed freely. Albag's heartfelt gesture – forming a hand heart from a military helicopter's window – encapsulated the moment's relief and hope.
But beneath the joy, for many, lingered a sense of bitterness and unanswered questions.
For those who vividly recall the horrors of October 7 and know the harrowing story of these young women, their return was bittersweet. It was a moment of joy and relief but also a stark reminder of profound failure – a nation that promised to value Jewish life left these women unarmed and vulnerable on the frontlines.
These observer soldiers, including Agam Berger, who remains in captivity, were sent to one of the most dangerous areas, only one kilometer from the Gaza border, without weapons. They were physically assaulted, kidnapped and subjected to unimaginable suffering by Hamas on October 7. For over a year, as they endured captivity, the government failed to destroy Hamas, negotiate their release, or conduct a successful rescue operation.
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Memorial candles are lit at the Nahal Oz military base after October 7
(Maayan Hoffman)
One of the most haunting images to emerge from the October 7 attack was a video of then-19-year-old Naama Levy being dragged by her hair at gunpoint in Gaza. Her hands were bound, her ankles injured, and her pants soaked in blood.
Levy's mother, Dr. Ayelet Levy Shachar, told CNN that the video represented "the moment where our lives just stopped and froze." For her family, she said, "It's been October 7 ever since."
Levy was not alone.
At 6:23 a.m. on October 7, hundreds of Hamas terrorists stormed the Nahal Oz base where the observer soldiers served. They murdered around 60 soldiers, including 15 unarmed female field observers – most of whom burned to death while hiding in their command center. Seven observers were kidnapped. The IDF later rescued one, Ori Megidish, while the body of another, Noa Marciano, who was killed in captivity, was recovered. Only four women escaped the carnage.
"The story of the brave observers is, in one sentence, the story of the failure of Israel on October 7," retired IDF General Noam Tibon said in an interview for Hadassah Magazine. Their story, he emphasized, must be told "to honor their memory and to learn... what we need to fix in the IDF and the State of Israel."
At the Nahal Oz base, the aftermath remained visible for months after the attack, as if time had stopped. Bullet holes scarred the buildings, surveillance cameras were destroyed, and the command center – where the observers spent countless hours monitoring Gaza's border – was blackened and melted, from the walls to the computers.
In the shadow of this devastation, urgent questions loom. It has now been confirmed that these young women repeatedly warned their superiors about a potential Hamas infiltration, warnings that went unheeded. For months before the massacre, the observers raised alarms that Hamas was preparing an attack, likely involving a breach of the border fence.
"No one listened to them. No one took care of them," said Eyal Eshel, father of Roni Eshel, an observer murdered that day. "These were nobody's soldiers."
Could the October 7 tragedy and the ensuing war have been averted if their warnings had been acted upon?
In May, the families of the female observers still in captivity released a video captured on Hamas body cameras. The footage shows their loved ones bloodied and tormented, with one terrorist referring to them as "female war prisoners."
This video once again drew public attention to the Nahal Oz observers.
"No one has the privilege of ignoring this video, of seeing the humiliation the girls experienced every single moment," said Sasha Ariev, sister of Karina Ariev.
Yet for nine more long months, the government largely overlooked the plight of these women.
Reports suggest that the hostage-for-cease-fire deal signed earlier this month was the same agreement proposed in December 2023 and that was being negotiated in the spring – meaning these women could have been reunited with their families back then.
Although officials have yet to complete a comprehensive investigation into the failures of October 7, experts have started examining the mistakes that led to that day. Many link these failures directly to what happened at Nahal Oz.
"Every investigation should start with those brave observers because they gave warnings [through official channels] that Hamas was practicing infiltrating the kibbutzim," Tibon said.
He added that examples like this were why former Military Intelligence Directorate head Aharon Haliva resigned. Since then, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has also announced he will be stepping down.
"At the end of the day, they were the eyes of the IDF in this region. They saw – and arrogant, vain commanders in Israeli intelligence ignored them. This is unforgivable," Tibon said.
Beyond the ignored warnings, there's another glaring issue: Why were unarmed soldiers stationed so close to one of Israel's most volatile borders, even as the Golani soldiers stationed with them were armed?
One expert described it as "a truly criminal level of complacency."
Was it gender bias that led to these women being ignored?
Was it their junior rank?
Their suffering and neglect demand answers.
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We must learn critical lessons from this tragedy. Soldiers stationed on the frontlines must be armed and equipped with proper defenses. Commanders must ensure that all soldiers – especially women – are provided with the weapons and protections they need to carry out their essential duties safely.
It is now clear that female soldiers face unique risks in captivity, often enduring harsher abuse and being used by the enemy to extract greater concessions during negotiations.

Seeing these women reunited with their families is a blessing, but this joy must not overshadow the critical need for accountability.
This tragedy could happen again without a thorough investigation and decisive action to address Nahal Oz's systemic failures.
And Israel, a nation that prides itself on never abandoning its own, cannot afford such complacency again.
Maayan Hoffman is executive editor and strategist for ILTV News and a correspondent for The Media Line.