IDF Chief of Staff Honors Fallen at Zikim Base, Acknowledges Military Failure

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir led a memorial ceremony Monday at the Zikim base, marking three years since the October 7th massacre. The event was attended by the General Staff Forum and families of those killed and wounded in the battle at the base. Zamir stated that Zikim was a primary site where commanders and soldiers stood on the front lines against the enemy's attack, remembering those who fought with determination to protect trainees, the fallen, and the hostages.

Following the ceremony, a tour of the base included a briefing by Brig. Gen. Elad Edri, Head of the Home Front Command's Staff, who commanded the Extraction Brigade on October 7th. An investigation concluded that the Zikim training base was not captured during the surprise attack due to the tenacious fighting and bravery of its commanders and the "Tavor" company soldiers against numerous terrorists. Swift identification of the incident, the forces' composure, and their early preparations enabled the defense of the base.

The decision by the company commander to reinforce defensive positions, along with his deputy taking command after his fall, allowed forces to block the terrorists' infiltration and disrupt their plan to capture the camp and carry out killings and abductions. The defense of the Zikim base resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers and commanders, and the injury of one civilian and nine additional soldiers. The fallen were identified as Major Adir Meir Abudi, Captain Or Moses, First Lieutenants Adar Ben Simon and Yanai Kaminka, Sergeant First Class Eden Alon Levi and Omri Niv Feirstein, and Private First Class Neria Aharon Negari.

Investigative findings indicate fighting occurred at five locations around and within the base, where forces eliminated two terrorists who infiltrated and at least nine others. For five days after October 7th, soldiers from the Extraction Brigade continued to fight terrorists attempting to attack the camp, engaging in close-quarters combat.

In his morning order of the day, Chief of Staff Zamir acknowledged the military's failure, stating, "On October 7th, Simchat Torah, our borders were breached in a bloody attack. The IDF failed in its supreme mission to protect the citizens of the State of Israel." He emphasized the military leadership's duty to conduct self-examination and investigate the failure. Zamir concluded by noting the nation mourns and remembers the civilians murdered in their homes, the young people who went dancing and did not return, the kidnapped and murdered hostages, the fallen soldiers and security personnel, and the rescue and emergency volunteers who fell in battle. The battle for the Zikim base was described as a story of command, bravery, and camaraderie.