Some 15 terrorists were killed during battles at the Israel Defense Forces’ Erez outpost near Zikim, the adjacent Zikim firing ranges, and the Yiftah outpost during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, as courageous and swift actions by soldiers helped prevent a bitter tragedy, according to internal military investigations published Tuesday.
The investigations, led by Col. (res.) Yaron Sitbon and approved by the former Southern Command chief, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, were based on interviews with soldiers, radio transcripts, surveillance footage and intelligence materials. They reconstructed the chaotic, hours-long battles across the coastal area of the northern Gaza envelope, concluding that on-the-ground courage and initiative were decisive.
The IDF probes found that while all three positions came under heavy assault and suffered losses, the quick and independent decisions of reconnaissance troops, tank crews and squad leaders disrupted Hamas’s plans and prevented far greater casualties. A total of 11 Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting.
“Their brave actions delayed the terrorists, disrupted their original plan, and prevented greater damage,” the report said.
The assault began at 6:29 a.m. with Hamas’s opening rocket barrage, which forced troops at both Yiftah and Erez into protected positions. Under this cover, heavily armed terror cells infiltrated Israel by land, sea and air.
At the Erez outpost and nearby Zikim ranges, reconnaissance forces and a tank crew quickly moved toward suspicious movement along the fence.
By 6:34 a.m., they were under heavy fire from dozens of terrorists attempting to breach the border fence using tractors, motorcycles and explosives. The tank fired several shells before being struck by an anti-tank round, wounding its commander. Soldiers in the area established defensive positions as Hamas-led gunmen pressed in.
At the outpost, infiltration by sea compounded the pressure. At 6:52 a.m., six terrorists landed on the beach in a motorboat. Three were killed by IDF fire, but the remaining three pressed inland, two of whom breached the Erez outpost.
A firefight erupted near the outpost’s northern shelter at around 7:10 a.m., where Staff Sgt. Ofir Zioni was killed in action, and several other soldiers were wounded.
Around the same time, at the Yiftah outpost, terrorists opened fire on the main gate, killing Sgt. Nathanel Young and Lt. Yoav Malayev wounded several others. This ignited a firefight that ultimately prevented the base from being overrun. Reinforcements joined the defense, but by 7:52 a.m., under intense fire and with numbers dwindling, only a handful of soldiers remained at the gate as the rapid response commander readied a tactical withdrawal.
Back at the Zikim ranges, terrorists had seized a David light armored personnel vehicle and tried to use it against a Namer APV stranded in the sand, wounding three soldiers.
A reconnaissance team — heavily outnumbered and running low on ammunition — positioned itself in a training shed and fought to hold back dozens of terrorists in the shooting ranges.
Cpt. Itay Maor, who commanded the three-man force, was killed in the battle along with Sgt. Ori Locker. After their deaths, Sgt. Amit Tzur continued fighting toward another shooting range before he, too, was killed. According to the investigation, their stand disrupted Hamas’s plans for further attacks.
At 8:09 a.m., an ambulance departed the Yiftah outpost with the critically wounded Staff Sgt. Yuval Ben Yakov, who was pronounced dead en route, while Sgt. Ilay Bar Sadeh and Cpl. Naama Bony were killed at the main gate. Terrorists captured the gate post, stole weapons, commandeered a Humvee, and retreated toward Gaza, with some fleeing on foot under fire from an observer soldier.
At that time, the outpost’s rapid response squad commander shot a terrorist who had tried to abduct one of the fallen soldiers, thwarting the kidnapping attempt.
By 8:23 a.m., no terrorists were observed around the stranded Namer, but troops remained inside the vehicle due to concerns about explosives at its hatches. It was not until 12:15 p.m. that a tank reached the Namer and safely evacuated all the soldiers inside.
At 9:07 a.m., the tank that had been operating along the border near the Erez outpost arrived at Yiftah, and its wounded tank commander was evacuated shortly thereafter to get medical care.
From 10:09 a.m. onward, additional reinforcements arrived at Yiftah, including vehicles commanded by the deputy battalion commander and a company commander from the 77th Armored Battalion, as well as officers from the Tactical Command College. These forces conducted sweeps of the outpost and surrounding areas, evacuated wounded soldiers from armored positions, and engaged terrorists near the guard post. During the ensuing firefights, several soldiers were wounded and two were killed: Lt. Sahar Tal and Staff Sgt. Orel Moshe.
By midday, senior commanders and special forces units — including reconnaissance teams, Maglan commandos and Oketz canine units — coordinated perimeter sweeps, neutralized terrorists near the base fence, and evacuated additional casualties. During these operations, Maj. Aryeh Ziering of the Oketz unit was killed.
At 11:30 a.m., a suspicious David light APV entered the Erez outpost area. Troops fired at the vehicle, thinking it had been commandeered by terrorists. It was later identified as belonging to an Armored Corps deputy company commander who was conducting a mission in the nearby firing range area.
The Erez outpost’s company commander arrived at the base from home after encountering terrorists in the Zikim area. He and his troops swept the outpost and were assisted by soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade’s 101st Battalion, which conducted a sweep of the firing range area.
By 1:15 p.m., the three fallen soldiers, Maor, Locker and Tzur, were located in the shooting ranges and later collected. At approximately 1:30 p.m., Zioni’s body, along with the wounded soldiers, was also evacuated.
The IDF regained full control of the area in the late afternoon, officially declaring the Yiftah outpost cleared of terrorists at 5:00 p.m.
The investigations concluded that Hamas failed in its objective to capture the Yiftah outpost and advance through the Zikim firing ranges and the Erez outpost area. Rapid, decisive and courageous actions by IDF soldiers halted enemy advances, disrupted their plans, and prevented greater casualties.
While terrorists temporarily breached positions, they quickly retreated to Gaza, often under fire from Israeli soldiers. Reinforcements from senior commanders and special forces units were decisive in restoring operational control and preventing further enemy gains.
At the same time, deficiencies were noted, including gaps in early warning, troop deployment, guard assignments, and medical flexibility, which limited response effectiveness.