IDF admits failure to defend Kibbutz Sufa on Oct. 7

The local security squad and armed civilians in Sufa showed extraordinary bravery under fire, the IDF acknowledged, as they held off invading terrorists for nearly three hours.

By World Israel News Staff

The Gaza border community of Kibbutz Sufa was left virtually defenseless during the October 7 onslaught, according to an Israeli army investigation released Sunday.

The report revealed that local civilian defenders fought some 50 heavily armed Hamas terrorists without IDF support for nearly five hours.

The investigation confirmed that three residents were killed — one civilian and two members of the kibbutz’s security squad — during the assault.

“The IDF failed in its mission to defend Kibbutz Sufa,” the military stated, admitting that hours passed before any Israeli forces arrived to help.

According to the IDF’s timeline, at 6:45 a.m., the head of Sufa’s security squad alerted his team that the Gaza border fence had been breached and warned them to prepare for battle.

Just before 7 a.m., four Hamas terrorists reached the kibbutz. Ofir Erez, a member of the local security squad, was stationed near the entrance gate and was shot and killed while attempting to stop the attackers.

At 7:30 a.m., more terrorists arrived and split into two groups, systematically moving through the kibbutz and searching for civilians to murder.

Minutes later, they fired into the home of Bernard Cowan, a dual Scottish-Israeli national, killing him.

Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, one of Sufa’s security squad members managed to shoot and kill four of the invading terrorists.

For the next three hours, the civilian security team fought alone, without any backup or support from the military. At around 10:30 a.m., an additional 30 terrorists entered the kibbutz and opened fire on homes.

Ido Hudbara, another member of the security team, was killed in the firefight.

Around noon — nearly five hours after the invasion began — troops from the Eilat-based LOTAR elite counterterrorism unit and the IDF’s 80th Edom Regional Division finally arrived and engaged the terrorists.

A combat helicopter was eventually scrambled and is believed to have successfully targeted a number of the terrorists.

By 2 p.m., additional reinforcements had reached the kibbutz and began clearing terrorists from homes in a house-by-house sweep.

Nearly 12 hours after the first breach, at 6:30 p.m., the IDF declared the kibbutz secure.

The IDF praised the courage of the Sufa security squad and several armed residents who fought off the terrorists, despite being vastly outnumbered and left without support for hours.