The IDF’s failure to defend the southern Gaza border town of Ein Hashlosha from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion cost the lives of three civilians and one member of the security forces, the military said, announcing its probe on Wednesday.
Only one terrorist was killed in the defense of the town, though dozens of Palestinian invaders were killed in the environs nearby, which the IDF credited with avoiding an even worse massacre of the village of around 300.
For example, the air force did not help in the battles within the town directly, but it did kill six Gazan terrorists trying to cross the town’s border at around noon.
Invasion of Ein Hashlosha
In the area around the kibbutz, soldiers from Battalion 51 and a tank from Battalion 77 fought against terrorists during the morning hours, though the tank was redirected to help Nir Oz at 9:40 a.m.
However, generally, the kibbutz was left to its own limited volunteer local security defenders, who were overwhelmed by the invaders. The first wave of terrorists started shortly after Hamas’s 6:29 a.m. massive rocket barrage of Israel, with around 15 trained terrorists.
Around 8:05 a.m., a second wave of invaders who were not connected to a particular terror group and not especially trained also infiltrated the area.
As in many other Gaza border villages, significant IDF reinforcements, including border guard soldiers, soldiers from Brigade 188, and some additional armed civilian reinforcements, only started to arrive in the afternoon between 1:20 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Most of the residents were evacuated by the evening of October 7, though the IDF made errors in leaving behind some of the Thai workers living there.
Evacuated residents spent several months in temporary housing situations in Eilat before returning to the Gaza Corridor area in early 2024, with many hoping to return to Ein Hashlosha in the coming months.