- Author, Alice Cuddy
- Role, Jerusalem
One year on afta di 7 October Hamas attacks, pipo still dey ask tough kwesions within Israel about di deadliest day for dia history. wen di kontri powerful army bin suprised and sharparly overwhelmed.
Di BBC don hear tori wey dem tell families of wetin happun for one military base wey dey guard di border wit Gaza.
Di Nahal Oz base bin run ova by Hamas gunmen for morning of 7 October and tori be say ova 60 Israeli sojas bin dey killed as dem carry odas as hostages.
Israel military neva publish dia official inquiry on top wetin happun dat day but don already tell family members of who dem kill dia, and some don share those tori wit di BBC.
Dis na di nearest to official statement by Israel military we don get about wetin happun dat day.
To try gada events, we don also follow survivors, read messages from pipo wey die, and listen to voice recordingd wey report di arracks as e dey happun. Dis bin dey used to build picture of di speed and di ferocity of di invasion.
- Many sojas bin see suspicious activity for base bifor 7 October, no be only di young women wey dia job na to monitor border cameras
- Sojas notice say Hamas activities bin stop just like dat days to di attack
- Many Israeli troops dia bin dey unarmed and official protocols bin make sojas stand back instead of to advance
- Some surveillance equipment bin either dey out of action or Hamas bin easily destroy am
Di details we don establish bring up kwesions like why na only few sojas bin dey armed for base wey dey close to di border, why dem no do more to ansa intelligence and warnings wey dem bin receive, how e bin tey bifor reinforcement come, and weda na di infrastructure for base na im leave di pipo for dia to no dey protected.
We carry our findings go di IDF wey tok say dem dey di middle of a “thorough investigation into wetin happun for October 7th, including wetin happun for Nahal Oz, and wetin happun bifor”.
On 7 October, Sharon – no be her real name – start her shift for Nahal Oz, like one kilometre from di Gaza border fence, at 04:00.
She bin dey part of di base all-women military unit – wey dem dey call Tatzpitaniyot in Hebrew – and dia role na to check live surveillance video wey cameras along di fence dey take.
Di women dey work for shifts for di base war room or Hamal, dey watch Gaza through plenti monitors non-stop.
Di Hamal na room wey no get window and dey protected by solid door and blast walls wit ogbonge security protocols.
Di IDF don tell families of pipo for di base say dat day many military staff bin dey unarmed.
Gen Israel Ziv, di former oga of di IDF Operations Division tell di BBC say during im service, no unarmed sojas for dey di border areas.
E say, “e no make sense… Di soja dey about di weapon”.
Di armed staff for Nahal Oz dat day bin include one unit of infantry sojas from di Golani brigade of di IDF.
Di BBC bin don report bifor say di Tatzpitaniyot bin notice escalation of suspicious activity on di oda side of di fence. But now we don establish say dis worry bin dey come from oda sojas for di base from different units.
Howeva shortly bifor 7 October, tins vin dey quiet.
One infantry soja wey bin dey base remember say, “nothing dey and im scare us. Evribodi feel am say sometin dey strange. E no make sense.”
Gen Ziv tok say di fact say IDF no grasp wetin dey happun na bicos of “plenti of arrogance”.
Di believe be say, “Hamas no go attack, dem no go try am and dat even if so, dem no dey capable. We go sleep on di 6th wit tinking say na cat dey dia and we wake up by di 7th and na tiger”.
By 05:30, members of di Golani bin dey prepare to start jeep patrol for di Israeli side of di fence, sometin wey dem dey do evri moring bifor sun comot. But dia supervisor order dem to delay d patrol and stand back sake of threat of anti-tank missiles, na so three of dme tell di BBC.
One remember say, “warning bin dey. E bin dey forbidden to go to di route wey near di fence.”
Anoda Galani wey be 21-year-old Shimon Malka say while di warning bin dey unusual no be di first time, so dem bin no too reason am.
Gen Ziv say na standard IDF protocol to stand pipo back for suspected attacks like dis so dem go “avoid being exposed as a target”. But, he say, “Hamas realise am and use am” to dia advantage.
E say di base suppose dey equipped wit positions wey di Golani go fit safely respond from.
E say, “dia be very simple techniques wey you fit cover sojas wey be say dem dey under cover but still dey position wey dem go fit still react and no lose sight”.
As di Golani bin dey wait away from di fence, Sharon start to dey see movement from Hamas fighters, but dem just be like routine – “dem too get shifts”.
By 06:20 Hamas don start to dey shoot rockets but again Sharon say dis bin no dey alarming immediately – she don face rocket attack bifor and di base bin dey well shielded against dem.
She say, “na normally five minutes of shooting and den brak”.
By like 06:30, Sharon say she bin see Hamas forces start to close in.
Di Tatzpitaniyot radio ground forces make dem hear.
“All stations, four pipo dey run to di fence, copy,” one of di women announce as her voice dey shake small. “I don see two armed pipo dey run to di fence, copy.”
At di same time, Shimon bin hear di code words for rocket attack for im radio. Im commander order make dem jump from dia jeep enta one Namer, wey be one kain Israeli armoured personnel carrier and dey go di fence side.
But e bin no see any serious tin so e bin tink say na drill.
IDF and pipo across Israel don see dis so called Iron wall as impenetrable and yet bases along am start to dey report breaches.
Each of di Tatzpitaniyot for shift for Nahal Oz bin see between two and five breeches of di section of border fence wey dem bin dey responsible to watch, na wetin Sharon tok. Dem watch Hamas fighters dey enta Israel.
Gen Ziv say di ease wey di fighters carry cross di fence show di flaws for barriers wey pipo bin see as impenetrable.
“As you bin see, two truck loads, bin come and fit push am, it was nothing. Even if minefield of 50 or 60 metres bin dey ova dia, e for delay Hamas for some hours.”
Shortly bifor 06:40, one observation post for Nahal Oz bin dey hit and damaged by coket according to IDF briefing notes wey dem show di BBC.
Di IDF tell families say dem bin put sniper-sighting system into action from di Hamal, wey be di nerve centre of di base. One officer bin dey attempt to shoot gunmen remotely wey dey try cross border.
Infantry officers join di Tatzpitaniyot for Hamal too. Sharon remember say one commander come wit her pyjamas.
As gunmen continue dey shoot surveillance cameras, di monitoring screens for Hamal start to dey go dark.
Gen Ziv say Hamas bin dey operate in plain sight of dis surveillance cameras along di border for weeks bifor dem bin go tactical so dat e go look normal.
Just 100 metres from wia di Tatzpitaniyot bin dey work, Alroy wey be one of di five IDF observation balloonist wey bin dey ground dat morning, wake up dat morning to di rockets and sirens, na wetin im papa Rafi Ben Shitrit tell di BBC.
Di balloon for Nahal Oz bin offer deeper view into Gaza, and suppose ot deyoperational 24 hours a day.
But for 7 October one of di three along di border bin dey out of action.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
“Di balloon for Nahal Oz no work and no-one bin worry, dem tell dem say dem go fix am on Sunday,” na wetin Ben Shitrit tok.
“Di atmosphere be like : ‘Hamas is deterred, and even if anytin happun e fo be terrorist infiltration and at most terrorist squad.’”
Back for her surveillance point, Sharon continue ot dey hala give sojas for ground. .
“I dey cry dey announce di same time ,” no so she tok.
She remember say di commanding officer bin shout for “quiet” bicos some of di young women bin dey loose focus inside di kasala.
For di fence, Shimon say e follow di radio dierctions. But e still no sabi why di women voice wey e bin dey hear bin sound so stressed.
“I bin feel di stress but I no fit see anytin.”
Wen im unit reach di place wey di Tatzpitaniyot tell dem make dem go, dem see as Hamas trucks dey break through di fence.
“Dem start to dey shoot us, maybe like five trucks.”
DI sojas shoot back and jam di ones wey bin dey okada.
Just afta 07:00 bin pass, na im be di worst tin wey evribodi bin dey fear happun. Hamas gunmen bin reach di domot of Hamal.
‘Make una wake up, terrorists dey domot,’ na wetin Sharon remember say dem tell am.
Dem order di Tatzpitaniyot to comot wia dem dey, go hide for office inside war room.
Gen Ziv talk say dia superiors no put eye to defend di bases demself, dem just focus on patrol outside.
“Na part of di whole mess be dat, because as soon as di enemy surprise dem, enter di base, dem no readi. Everytin just collapse,” na wetin im talk.
By like 07:20, wetin dem bin call di shield wey be bomb shelter outside Hamal bin dey attacked.
Some of di pipo wey bin dey hide inside na some Tatzpitaniyot wey bin dey protected by “four female warriors”. Dis na according to one Whatsapp message wey one of di Tatzpitaniyot wey bin dey di shield send by 07:38 wey BBC see.
No more messages bin come from her for di group.
Di IDF tell di familes say dis “female warriors” na di only pipo wey get weapons wey bin dey hide for di shelter. And dem bin dey keep Hamas far wit gunfire till one grenade explosion kill one of di commanders and injure odas bin dey inside.
By dis time, like 10 of di sojas don manage escape di shelter and lock demselves inside di accommodation barracks. All di oda pipo for di shield, bin either die or Hamas capture dem carry go.
Shimon and im commander go back base but dme still no sabi di full mata gbege wey dey shele.
Di IDF go later tell di famly of one of di pipo wey dem kill for Nahal Oz say di attack or di base bin start wit drone strikes and action by 70 fighters from four directions, as odas dey join come as di morning kasala continue.
Wia dis foto come from, Telegram
Up and down for di Gaza Strip, thousands of pipo dey cross enta Israeli territory.
Shimon tok say as im dey go back base, na dia e clear am say di attack big well-well.
“Wen we reach base, evritin don burn,” na wetin im talk
Inside Hamal office, Sharon tok say about 20 sojas dey try calm each oda down.
Dem dey try call for more support, but dem no get.
“I tink pesin bin tok say ‘No backup, nobodi fit come,’ and I remember as my officer tok say ‘We no need backup, na rescue we need’.”
Small time bifor 08:00 go knack, one Israeli drone wey dem dey call Zik enta but IDF say e bin no fit differentiate between Israeli sojas and Hamas, wey make dem slow to attack dia intended targets.
Around di same time, attack begin on Hamal, wit plenty shooting. Those wey get gun fight for door of di building so Hamas no go fit enta inside. Fighting continue for about four hours.
Meanwhile, Shimon tok say im and oda sojas wey dey fight for base no reach,. No reinforcement come.
“Evritin dey vague,” na wetin im talk.
By like 09:00, di Golani go di base dining hall, to wia Tatzpitaniyot bin tell dem say most of di gunmen dey hide.
Family members later hear from IDF say 150 gunmen bin dey for evri 25 combat sojas wey enta Nahal Oz dat day”.
“Wetin Hamas bin do dat morning na swarm attack,” Gen Ziv tok.
“Dem bin get ova 70 different breaches… ova 3,000 terrorists… Dem know say dem no get di skill, na quantity dem rely on.”
Dem feem one video, wey Israeli media tok say dem bin feem around dat time, wey show young surveillance officers for Nahal Oz, wey armed Hamas bin capture.
“Una be dogs, we go match una,” na so one man dey tok as dem tie di women dem hand, face am to wall.
Nineteen-year-old Naama Levy, wey just start work for di base di day bifor, bin dey beg say she get “friends for Palestine”, as her face dey full of blood.
Di video show di women as dem dey drag dem enta one waiting motor, wey dem drive comot.
E pain Naama mama as she dey watch am. “Di wound, di blood, wetin she bin dey tok, wetin di terrorists dey tell dem, di horror of dose moments,” na wetin Dr Ayelet Levy tok.
Gen Ziv tok say di Tatzpitaniyot for Nahal Oz “dey amazing – di mistake na di system, di commanders, no be dem”.
More dan three hours afta di attack start, by 09:45, IDF helicopter begin fire Hamas gunmen, officers bin tell di family wey dey mourn. Dem fire inside di base 12 times.
Shimon and six odas, including dia commander, drive comot di base and waka come back in formation. Im tok say dem dey fire dem “from all directions”.
Through di sound of automatic gunfire, dem hear single shots wey Hamas sniper wey dem no fit see dey fire.
“Evri time e shoot, one of my friends go collect bullet for head,” na wetin im tok.
Shimon tok say e be di only one wey survive among those wey im follow fight, and im too almost lose im life.
“Bullet pass near my head… I hear as bullets dey hit concrete around me and feel di heat from dem.’
Na dat time, im radio no gree work again.
Gen Ziv describe di day say na “perfect storm”
E explain say “backup no come for many hours bicos nobodi sabi wetin dey happen or wia to send di backup go. Shimon manage escape from di scene, go hide for sniper position, bifor im join oda sojas wey go protect kibbutz.
For Hamal, or war room, sometin big happun around 11:00.
Di electricity go off, wey mean say di locks for di doors wey dey on electric system no work again. Dat one make di war room open, according to wetin IDF tell some families. Hamas fighters begin shoot inside and throw grenades.
One of dem die for face-to-face knife fight with Golani soldier, na wetin IDF tell families.
Gen Ziv tok say dat time, sojas bin dey rely on door locks for safety, but di whole military system don alreadi fail.
For IDF briefing to families, dem tok say “terrorists throw flammable substance inside Hamal and set am on fire”.
Wia dis foto come from, Channel 12
“Di smoke thick well well. Evribodi start to cough and suffocate. Pipo start to dey faint,” na wetin Sharon tok.
One mama tok say IDF tell am say Hamas use “toxic substance” during di attack, even though odas no hear dis detail or say IDF don change dia tori about dis.
Around 12:30, seven pipo, wey include Sharon wey bin dey Hamal, manage to find dia way go di toilet window and climb out. Dis na according to wetin di pipo wey dey dia dat day tok.
Dem wait make odas join dem, but nobodi come. Sharon be di only survivor among di Tatzpitaniyot wey dey on shift dat day. Anoda young woman wey no dey work dat morning, but bin dey di base, also survive.
By di end of 7 October, military take back control but plenti of di pipo wey bin dey stationed dia no see di nest day. Na seven Tatzpitaniyot dem carry go Gaza as hostages, one die, anoda one rescue, and five still dey dia.
Wia dis foto come from, Channel 12
Dat day wey Hamas launch attack for Israel, ova 1,200 pipo, including more than 300 soja, lose dia lives, and 251 odas were taken as hostage. Since den, more dan 41,000 Palestinians don die from Israeli military action for Gaza, according to Hamas-run health ministry.
For Nahal Oz, di dead pipo include Alroy, wey be balloonist, and four of im comrades wey engage in long battle with Hamas, as im papa tok according to wetin IDF tell am.
Dem manage to kill almost 10 gunmen, but di five of dem no fit stand Hamas, and dem all die inside mobile shelter by 14:30.
Di war room, wey dem bin design as safe space for di base units, don scata. Pictures and videos show say e dey burnt, as di screens wey diTatzpitaniyot bin take dey monitor carefully, don turn black. Dem even find bone among di ashes for dia.
Di survivors and families of those wey die and kidnapped still dey ask questions wey no get answer, about how evritin bin spoil as e bad so..
Additional reporting by Jon Donnison and Naomi Scherbel-Ball