Some 150 Hamas terrorists infiltrated Kibbutz Kissufim and its neighboring military base during the Oct. 7 massacre, taking advantage of tactical failures that enabled the killing of 17 civilians—including foreign workers and members of the local security team—and 27 Israel Defense Forces soldiers, according to an IDF inquiry released Wednesday.
It took five days before all the terrorists were eliminated and the kibbutz was no longer under threat.
The findings were presented to the families of the victims and members of the kibbutz.
The investigation revealed that despite efforts by some soldiers and the local defense team, the IDF failed to adequately protect the community. The team managed to disrupt part of the terrorists’ operations but was ultimately overwhelmed.
In total, 25 terrorists were killed at the base, 30 within the kibbutz, and another 50 in the surrounding area. The rest withdrew to Gaza.
The inquiry, which lasted a year, included interviews, recorded communications, security camera footage and reenactments. The IDF noted that inaccuracies may remain and the findings are subject to updates.
The initial rocket attack at 6:29 a.m. forced deployed forces to seek shelter, delaying their ability to defend the kibbutz. Terrorists, some dressed in IDF uniforms, broke through the gate using motorcycles and vehicles. After about an hour of fighting, the troops were forced to withdraw into the kibbutz.
Inside the base, much of the fighting occurred near a shelter where terrorists threw grenades, killing six soldiers.
Reinforcements arrived only at 1:45 p.m. and were divided into teams to defend the women’s quarters, where terrorists had entrenched themselves. Two IDF lookouts who had lost contact with their units earlier in the day were rescued.
The kibbutz security team was alerted to prepare for an invasion at 6:38 a.m., and by 6:55 a.m., terrorists had entered neighborhoods in the northern and southern sectors.
During the assault, kibbutz residents were abducted, including Shlomo Mansur, who was later murdered in captivity. Six Thai agricultural workers were also killed. Soldiers managed to prevent terrorists from advancing from the northern neighborhoods to other areas.
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Evacuation of residents began at 5 p.m., but at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, forces encountered terrorists hiding in the Godo family home. During the operation, Tom Godo, who was hiding there, was mistakenly shot and killed by the troops.
Fighting continued into Monday, Oct. 9, as terrorists took over the cow shed and murdered its manager. They were eventually killed by helicopter and tank fire. The last terrorist in the kibbutz was eliminated on Oct. 12.
The report concluded that the military failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kissufim, misjudged the force ratio against the attackers, and deployed troops untrained in defending civilian communities. The result was a series of tactical errors, incidents of friendly fire, and a prolonged delay in neutralizing the threat.