36 hours of hell: How Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha fought off a Hamas invasion alone

A newly released operational investigation has shed light on the harrowing events of the October 7 Hamas attack on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, revealing a breakdown in Israeli military preparedness and response, as well as extraordinary civilian bravery. The report, compiled over several months by a professional team led by Colonel Ziv Nmani and presented by former Southern Command chief General Yaron Finkelman, details the moment-by-moment chaos, delays in military reinforcements, and a small security squad’s desperate battle to protect their community.

At 6:29 a.m., Hamas initiated its surprise attack with rocket barrages, followed swiftly by ground infiltrations. Around 100 terrorists stormed Ein Hashlosha in waves, using motorcycles and vehicles. Despite a warning and mobilization by the local security chief, Major (Res.) Ram Negbi, and a few alert soldiers from the 51st Golani Battalion, the first wave of terrorists broke into the kibbutz at 6:58 a.m. Armed in two squads, they entered the northern and southern neighborhoods, committing murders and burning homes. Negbi fought valiantly before being killed by an RPG while trying to repel the attackers and alert authorities.

Between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., a second wave of dozens of terrorists with no clear group affiliation entered the kibbutz. By then, many homes were already looted, and additional residents, including one woman who was burned alive in her home shelter, were killed. Civilians with personal weapons engaged in combat alongside under-equipped and poorly trained members of the kibbutz’s emergency squad.

Air support from the Israeli Air Force only arrived around noon, targeting and killing six terrorists outside the perimeter. Ground reinforcements did not fully enter the kibbutz until 1:20 p.m., including members of elite police and IDF units. Residents began self-evacuation at 9:30 p.m., but the official evacuation didn’t commence until 5:30 p.m. the following day, over 36 hours after the initial assault.

The investigation concluded that the local defense infrastructure was severely lacking: equipment was insufficient, communications collapsed, and evacuation plans were nonexistent. While the IDF is criticized for failing to protect the settlement, the report commends the heroism of Negbi, local security members, and citizens who voluntarily entered the warzone to defend the community.

Four residents; Ram Negbi, Noa Gelzberg, Sylvia Miransky, and Marcel Talia, were murdered in the attack. Only one terrorist was killed inside the kibbutz, though many were eliminated in its vicinity. The grim timeline of events and delayed military intervention highlight the immense challenges and failures faced by Israel on that dark day, as well as the bravery of civilians who stood in defense of their homes with limited resources.