Simchat Torah in Kerem Shalom began with joint celebrations of all the residents, both secular and religious. In addition to the kibbutz members, guests from all over the country arrived.
The prayers and dances proceeded as usual, and at one of the rounds, Moshe Yedidya Razi'el stood in the center of the circle and began to lead a magnificent rendition of the song "Am Yisrael Chai," which shook the floor and included jumps to the height of the tradition. After the dances, everyone dispersed to their homes for a holiday meal, looking forward to the celebrations of the following day.
At 6:30 in the morning, red alert sirens were heard throughout the kibbutz, and the members of the emergency squad began to gather at the familiar location from previous drills.
Amichai and Yedidya formed an organic duo
Amichai Yisrael Witzan didn't hesitate for a moment and said to those present in the house, "This is exactly why we trained in the preparatory program class." Nine members of the emergency squad prepared to spread out within the kibbutz along with six additional soldiers who reinforced the group. Right after the gathering, Eliya Ben Shimol, the security officer of Kerem Shalom, divided the force into pairs, with Yedidya and Amichai forming an organic pair.
Dozens of terrorists who crossed the fence in the area near Kerem Shalom infiltrated the kibbutz and began to engage in clashes with the members of the emergency squad. Kerem Shalom consists of individual family homes scattered over a relatively large area, totaling around 35 occupied houses. The defense system spread from the entrance of the settlement to the last of the houses.
During the first few hours of the battles, members of the emergency squad neutralized a large number of terrorists. The battles continued for 6 hours without assistance, apart from the force consisting of 15 fighters.
