IDF Soldiers Recall First Hours of Hamas Attack on Sderot

Three soldiers from the Giv'ati Brigade's "Bnei Yeshiva" (Hesder Yeshiva students) track, who were nearing the end of their combat training, recount their experience fighting Hamas terrorists in Sderot on the morning of October 7, 2023. The soldiers, First Lieutenants B. and Matan, and Sergeant First Class (Res.) Nahorai, were attending morning prayers at the Afikei Da'at Yeshiva in Sderot when the attack began. Initially mistaking the intense rocket fire for routine alarms, their suspicion grew as the barrages intensified. An alert from a civilian shouting about gunfire outside prompted them to grab their personal weapons, still in their Shabbat clothes, and engage the terrorists.

They encountered approximately 15 armed terrorists near the police station, described as a pivotal moment captured in a widely circulated video. "Nothing in training can prepare you for a moment like that," Nahorai stated, comparing the initial firefight to a training range. As the day progressed, they learned the broader scope of the attack, including the massacre at the Supernova music festival near Re'im. They then split up to assist in various missions across Sderot, including securing areas, evacuating families from homes hit by mortar shells, and guiding military and police forces.

One soldier, First Lieutenant B., described running with a weeping man to his home to find his wife and baby amidst the fighting, pushing civilians back into safety and moving casualties. The soldiers found themselves with limited ammunition, defending civilians. "We were maybe 20 weapons guarding about 250 people," Nahorai recalled. The following day, they reported to their base and were deployed closer to Gaza, rejoining their unit and feeling a renewed sense of belonging to the army.

Reflecting on the combat footage weeks later, the soldiers noted how it provided a tangible perspective on their actions under extreme stress. The experience profoundly impacted their motivation to continue in command roles. First Lieutenant Matan emphasized wanting to instill in future commanders a sense of purpose and connection to a larger national and historical narrative. Sergeant First Class Nahorai, who has since been discharged, spoke of the ongoing fighting and the need to process the events, stating, "We understood our mission. It's a crazy feeling to be part of something so huge."