Heroic stand at Nahal Oz: How IDF soldiers fought Hamas to the death on October 7

In an emotional interview with N12, Lieutenant Nimrod Eliraz, the sole surviving combat soldier from the Nahal Oz outpost attack on October 7, 2023, recounted the harrowing battle against Hamas terrorists who stormed the base, leaving devastation in their wake. That morning, dozens of Hamas Nukhba terrorists infiltrated Nahal Oz, targeting the Chamal, the central operations room crucial for overseeing the sector. Inside, 18 IDF soldiers, many of them unarmed, took shelter as terrorists surrounded them.

Four combat soldiers; Lieutenant Nimrod Eliraz, Lieutenant Yohai Duchan, Warrant Officer Ibrahim Kharouba, and Staff Sergeant Itay Avraham Ron, rushed to defend the Chamal and the soldiers within. "We said: Come on guys, let's get them out of here. We won’t let them get in," Nimrod recalled in his first interview with Uvda.

Initially, the soldiers attempted to repel the attackers by launching counterassaults outside the Chamal. As the situation deteriorated, they fell back to the entrance, using chairs to barricade the narrow lobby, creating a final line of defense. Ammunition dwindled, and with grenades and gunfire shaking the building, the soldiers made a fateful decision: "If this is over, we would rather take a bullet to our heads, but we will not be taken hostage," Nimrod said.

During the fierce fighting, a grenade was thrown toward the group. In an act of pure heroism, Yohai Duchan pushed Nimrod aside, shouted "grenade!" and jumped on it to shield his comrades. Miraculously, it did not explode. As ammunition ran out, the soldiers drew their commando knives and fought hand-to-hand. "We jumped on the terrorist with a knife in our hand, and he was taken by surprise," Nimrod recounted.

The situation worsened when terrorists threw a Molotov cocktail into the Chamal. The highly flammable structure quickly became an inferno. Only seven soldiers managed to escape; the others were trapped inside. Nimrod, severely wounded, was among those who escaped through a small window. He woke up in Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, confused and believing he had been kidnapped into Gaza. "My first memory was seeing my mother on my right and my father on my left," he recalled.

Even gravely injured, Nimrod's first concern was for his fellow soldiers. "I just wanted to know what happened to my soldiers and to get back to the base," he said. He stressed that he and his comrades fought with one mission: to protect the female soldiers. "We fought to bring them home," he said with emotion.

In the heroic defense of Nahal Oz, the IDF lost many brave soldiers. Among those who fell defending the Chamal were Captain Shir Eilat, Captain Idan Bloi, Second Lieutenant Yohai Duchan, Master Sergeant Ibrahim Kharouba, Staff Sergeant Yam Glass, Staff Sergeant Daniel Rashad, Staff Sergeant Shirel Chaim Por, Staff Sergeant Adi Landman, Sergeant Osher Simcha Barzilai, Sergeant Shirel Mor, Sergeant Yael Leibushor, Sergeant Roni Eshel, Sergeant Shira Shochat, and Corporal Maya Vialobo Polo.

Seven soldiers also fell fighting outside the Chamal: Staff Sergeant Roi Barkat, Staff Sergeant Dvir Zakai, Staff Sergeant Itay Avraham Ron, Staff Sergeant David Ratner, Staff Sergeant Yishai Pitusi, Staff Sergeant Yaad Ben Yaakov, and Staff Sergeant Dor Yarchi.

The bravery of the Nahal Oz defenders on October 7 stands as a testament to the spirit, sacrifice, and heroism of Israel’s soldiers. Their actions saved lives, delayed the terrorists' advance, and protected their fellow soldiers even at the cost of their own.