The Israeli occupation army admitted on Monday that it failed to carry out its defensive duties in the Sufa kibbutz during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood carried out by the Palestinian Resistance on October 7, according to an official investigation published by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

The investigation revealed that roughly 50 Palestinian Resistance fighters stormed the kibbutz, some of whom successfully infiltrated it.

The investigation reconstructed the timeline, showing how Hamas fighters first opened fire before breaking through the border fence with small trucks and motorcycles, while the local security forces responded at 6:45 am by ordering settlers to shelter in place and remain vigilant.

Palestinian Resistance overwhelms IOF

The investigation revealed that within minutes of the alert being issued, an elite Hamas unit reached the perimeter near the kibbutz and Sufa military camp in two trucks and ten motorcycles and then proceeded to infiltrate toward the adjacent camp and the Dingur memorial site.

The report further indicated that an Israeli tank clashed with Hamas militants near the perimeter fence, with the engagement occurring over a full three hours before backup forces, including units from the 80th Division, Eilat's team, and the 190th Squadron, finally arrived on the scene.

At 7:00 am, the nearby Sufa military outpost, located just several hundred meters from the kibbutz, came under intense attack as Hamas forces launched heavy gunfire and managed to seize control of nearly the entire base except for the dining hall, where 30 soldiers had barricaded themselves. Nine soldiers were killed and 30 others were wounded during the fierce fighting.

Intense fighting in different locations

Simultaneously, intense fighting erupted at the Dangur memorial site near the kibbutz's western gate, where Nahal reconnaissance forces engaged in combat to intercept approaching Hamas reinforcements, killing four soldiers, among them a company commander and a platoon leader, along with seven others wounded, while further clashes in the surrounding area left six additional IOF personnel injured.

By 10:30 am, roughly around 30 Palestinian fighters gathered in orchards north of Kibbutz Sufa, forcing the settlement's standby guard squad and several armed settlers to exchange fire as IOF reinforcements had not yet arrived. One settler was killed.

Despite the security failure, the investigation attempted to downplay the scale of the breakdown by praising the local guard unit's intervention, which was claimed to have helped prevent an even greater "disaster".