Nirim attack

Coordinates: 31°20′10″N 34°23′42″E / 31.33611°N 34.39500°E / 31.33611; 34.39500
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Nirim attack
Part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel
Native nameהטבח בנירים
LocationNirim, Southern District, Israel
Coordinates31°20′10″N 34°23′42″E / 31.33611°N 34.39500°E / 31.33611; 34.39500
Date7 October 2023; 6 months ago (2023-10-07)
Attack type
Mass shooting
Deaths5+
Injuredmany
Perpetrator Hamas's Southern Khan Yunis Battalion[1][2]

On 7 October 2023, a surprise assault was launched on Israel by Hamas militants coming from the Gaza Strip. One of their targets was Nirim, a kibbutz located in the southern part of Israel, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the border with Gaza.[3] At least five kibbutz civilians died, many were injured and an unknown number of civilians were kidnapped and taken hostage to Gaza.[4][5]

Background

Kibbutz Nirim is in the northwestern Negev desert near the Gaza Strip. It was established in 1946 by "Nir", a small core team of young Hashomer Hatzair pioneers. Nirim's economy is based on agriculture: Extensive fielded crops, an avocado plantation, greenhouses and milking cows. Approximately 500 people, including around 130 children, live in the kibbutz.[6]

The attack

As part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in the early hours of October 7, 2023, a group of approximately 20 militants armed with assault rifles, grenades, and rocket propelled grenades arrived at Kibbutz Nirim.[7] They set houses ablaze, opened fire on homes, and hurled grenades. Corporal Amit Levy, a police officer who was on leave at the time, heard the gunfire and joined some members of the kibbutz's standby squad, fighting the militants with his M16 rifle. According to the military security coordinator [he], following this skirmish, Levy and members of the standby squad secured a strategic vantage point on a rooftop of a silo. Recognizing their tactical disadvantage, the terrorists ultimately decided to withdraw.[8][9] Additional Nukhba forces arrived on motorcycles and in vans.[9]

Early in the attack, a group of three IDF soldiers led by Colonel Asaf Hamami entered the kibbutz and battled the Hamas fighters. All three were killed and their bodies were taken to the Gaza Strip.[10]

While engaged in combat from their position at the rooftop, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attack helicopter made contact with the defenders. It was jointly agreed that they would confront the militants within the kibbutz, while the helicopter would carry out airstrikes on targets in proximity to the fence and beyond. This intense engagement from the tower persisted for approximately two hours.[11]

About seven hours after the militants' infiltration into the kibbutz, IDF troops arrived to clear out the militants. Among the survivors of the massacre was Shai Levy, Mako's military correspondent who stayed in a shelter and covered the sequence of events.[11]

Aftermath

Nirim members who survived the attack were evacuated by the IDF from the kibbutz.[12][13] The majority currently reside temporarily in a hotel in Eilat.

On 15 October, IDF soldiers reportedly killed Billal al-Qedra, the commander of the Hamas' Nukhba unit in southern Khan Younis battalion who led the operation in Nirim.[14][15]

On 28 November, two Nirim members, who were held as hostages for 53 days in Gaza by Hamas, were returned to Israel.[16] They were returned as part of as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas.[17] At least two more Nirim members are still held by Hamas.

See also

  • 2023 Israel–Hamas war
  • Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
  • List of engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
  • Palestinian terrorism
  • Moshe Dayan's eulogy for Ro'i Rothberg
  • List of massacres in Israel
  • The story of a survivor of the Nirim Attack on YouTube
  • Gavrielov, Nadav (9 November 2023). "Holocaust Survivors in Israel Faced Fresh Horror When Hamas Attacked". New York Times.

References

  1. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (15 October 2023). "IDF says it killed Hamas commander who led murderous attacks on Nirim, Nir Oz". 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Israel kills Hamas commanders responsible for attacks in Kibbutz Nirim, Nir Oz". Business Today. 2023-10-15. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ^ Lidman, Melanie. "In a kibbutz down south, where the kids can tell a Hamas 'boom' from an Israeli one". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  4. ^ Kottasová, Muhammad Darwish,Nic Robertson,Artemis Moshtaghian,Amir Tal,Ivana (2023-10-11). "Children found 'butchered' in Israeli kibbutz, IDF says, as horror of Hamas' attacks near border begins to emerge". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ צורי, מתן (2023-10-11). "המחבלים הסתערו, חברי כיתות הכוננות נלחמו על הבית: כל הקרבות ההירואיים" [The terrorists stormed, the members of the standby classes fought for the house: all the heroic battles]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  6. ^ "קיבוץ נירים" [Kibbutz Nirim]. Kibbutz Nirim. Archived from the original on 2007-06-02. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  7. ^ "Israel says Hamas commander who led attack in Nirim killed in airstrike, shares video". Hindustan Times. 2023-10-15. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  8. ^ "רבשצ היישוב נירים: תפסנו עמדת שליטה, הם הבינו את זה והחליטו לסגת מנירים" [We took a commanding position, they realized it and decided to withdraw from Nirim]. 103FM - האזנה לרדיו און ליין (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  9. ^ a b "4 תושבי נירים מול עשרות מחבלים: "לא האמנו שנשרוד" - וואלה! חדשות" [4 residents of Nirim facing dozens of terrorists: "We didn't believe we would survive"]. וואלה! (in Hebrew). 2023-10-16. Archived from the original on 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  10. ^ Yehoshua, Yossi (2023-12-03). "Farewell to a hero of Israel: He kissed his son and went out to battle; 'This is commander, declaring war'". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  11. ^ a b "החייל הראשון נכנס לקיבוץ ב-13:41. 7 שעות מתחילת האירוע" [The first soldier entered the kibbutz at 13:41. 7 hours from the start of the event]. Mako. 2023-10-12. Archived from the original on 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  12. ^ ניסני, יובל (2023-11-15). "רעים יעברו לת"א, בארי מתלבטים: החיים הזמניים של המפונים מהעוטף". Globes. Archived from the original on 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  13. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (8 October 2023). "IDF to evacuate civilians from towns near Gaza border in next 24 hours". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  14. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (15 October 2023). "IDF says it killed Hamas commander who led murderous attacks on Nirim, Nir Oz". 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Israel kills Hamas commanders responsible for attacks in Kibbutz Nirim, Nir Oz". Business Today. 2023-10-15. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  16. ^ Aderet, Ofer (2023-11-28). "Ten Women: These Are the Israeli Hostages Freed From Hamas Captivity on Tuesday". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  17. ^ "Who are the released hostages?". BBC News. 2023-11-24. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
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