IDF Paga Outpost Probe: 18 Killed, Left Without Gear

Three years of silence ended Thursday morning with the release of the IDF's investigation into one of the most brutal battles of the 7 October war: the fight for Paga outpost. The probe, conducted by Brigadier General Uri Ron, exposes a colossal systemic failure, the abandonment of soldiers sent into combat without proper protective equipment, and the extraordinary courage of a handful of fighters who stood alone in the dark against thousands of terrorists.

The investigation was completed nearly a year ago but was repeatedly delayed by senior IDF officials who chose to bury it, including another postponement last week just hours before it was set to be published. The army attempted to explain the delay by citing "Golani Brigade's continued combat operations" and difficulty presenting the material to those involved. That explanation collapsed in light of the fact that other 7 October investigations, including those covering the Mefalsim outpost and the Erez crossing attack, were published long ago despite involving Golani forces.

Systemic Failure

The investigation states unequivocally that the soldiers at the outpost were trained only for limited confrontations along the border fence. Their mental state, operational readiness, sparse combat equipment, and the outpost's infrastructure were in no way adapted to a large-scale, intense surprise attack. The document openly states that the IDF failed decisively in defending the area, did not prevent the outpost's fall, and did not succeed in blocking the terrorists' infiltration toward surrounding communities and Kibbutz Be'eri.

In the fierce battle for Paga and the adjacent Sachaf outpost under its command, the soldiers paid with their lives: 18 dead, including 14 fighters from Battalion 13 of the Golani Brigade, three armored soldiers from Battalion 77, and the sector's tracker. Twenty-two soldiers were wounded in the fighting, and the bodies of two soldiers—including tracker Mohammed al-Atrash and tank commander Shai Levinson—were abducted into Gaza.

The force ratio was impossible: between 60 and 80 terrorists penetrated the outpost in three separate waves, fighting against only 30 soldiers stationed there—a Golani company and an armored tank force. To the investigators' surprise, the first wave consisted of only nine terrorists, underscoring the depth of the failure in that a force of 30 mechanized soldiers could not defeat them immediately.

Lotar unit operations during the Lebanon campaign (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Timeline of Hell

06:29 — Hell begins: Heavy rocket barrages greet the soldiers as they enter protected spaces. The fortified dining hall is designated as the assembly point, and two tanks move toward the fence. Sector tracker Mohammed al-Atrash does not make it in time and is killed in the barrage; his body is abducted to Gaza.

06:41 — Armored battle: The force's tanks open fire on dozens of terrorists. The deputy commander's tank is hit by a drone that dropped an RPG warhead and is disabled, but the commander continues fighting for about an hour. The second tank is hit by an anti-tank missile; commander Shai Levinson is killed and his body abducted, the driver manages to extract himself to the Nova festival area, and two crew members are critically wounded.

06:51 — Critical communications failure: A soldier from the pillbox position spots terrorists firing and runs to the dining hall to warn his comrades, but due to a communications failure the information is not passed to the mortar crew preparing to fire.

06:55 — First wave penetrates: About ten terrorists breach through the rear gate. Intense firefights erupt in the mortar compound. Four soldiers fall in battle, including Tomer Barak, Ido Binenstock, and Habib Kian. Chaim Meir Eden is critically wounded and dies about two months later.

07:15 — Cries for help and ineffective strike: The outpost commander reports a critical shortage of manpower and combat equipment. An Air Force drone strikes the northern part of the outpost, but the attack proves ineffective due to severe gaps in situational awareness and communications.

08:00 — Engagement at the gates: An attempt by the commander and two soldiers to attack a terrorist near the rear gate ends in disaster; soldier Itamar Cohen is killed and another wounded.

10:30 — Final assembly in the dining hall: Given the attrition and multiple wounded, the deputy commander contracts the defensive lines and concentrates everyone in the dining hall. Deputy commander Dekel Suissa and soldier Roy Peri go out to secure the area, encounter terrorists, and fall heroically.

13:00 — Dining hall set ablaze: The terrorists surround the dining hall and set it on fire from both sides. Five heroic soldiers—Lior Azizov, Idan Raz, Shilo Barnes, Itai Ofek Glisko, and Yakir Levy—burst out to fight and fall in battle to prevent a greater catastrophe. The terrorists withdraw believing no one remains alive.

16:20 — Outpost cleared: A Lotar unit force and Golani soldiers reach the outpost, clear it, and evacuate the wounded and fallen who remained. In the evening hours, an anti-tank missile strike on the evacuation convoy claims the life of soldier Dolev Amoyial.

Though the operational investigation is barred from assigning direct personal responsibility to those involved, its conclusions are sharp and clear: the outpost collapsed, the soldiers were not properly prepared for the real threats, and the system failed the ultimate test of protecting human life. Alongside the harsh criticism, the document illuminates in prestigious light the extraordinary acts of heroism by commanders and soldiers who defended their comrades with their bodies until their last breath.