Video: IDF forces fighting in the Shati refugee camp/Photo: IDF Spokesperson
On the morning of October 7, Capt. A., the intelligence officer of the Givati Brigade, received a message from Brigade Commander Col. Liron Battito: "There are exceptional incidents in the south. The drudgeries are unclear, you will reach the brigade's home base." And that's exactly what he did, on a day that the brigade's intelligence personnel will remember forever – and whose chilling correspondence is presented here for the first time. The correspondence shows how the brigade's intelligence personnel collect information from civilians in order to direct the brigade's fighters to save their lives during the terrorist attack on Black Saturday.
"I set out and called my officers," Capt. A recalls in an interview with Walla!, "We bumped up all the reserve soldiers. We did not wait for Order 8 so as not to lose precious time. We arrived at our permanent camp in the south, the reservists joined us, and together we tried to build a picture of the situation. I went down to the field with the security officer so we could help the brigade commander."
Screenshot, voila system!
Lieutenant N., A.'s deputy, tells how the brigade prepared quickly against the background of the chaos. "We took responsibility for the Nahal Oz sector, Kfar Gaza and Kissufim. We opened operations rooms, contacted CSOs, civilians and anyone who had information about what was happening there. We reached the civilian in the safe room. We made an effort to build a picture of the situation of abductees, missing persons, who is besieged and where."
Sergeant Major (res.) A., an intelligence NCO, understood, like his colleagues in the brigade, that it was necessary to think outside the box. "We sent messages to every possible group of friends and family, asking to reach people in the homes to give us information from the field. My phone became a war room for messages and calls. I reached the people there, and after verification and cross-checking, we passed it on to the fighters on the ground."
92% SUCCESS
The advanced technology that improves acne needles: check compatibility now!
In collaboration with Rivka Zaida Laboratories
"Urgent now! There are terrorists here!" Correspondence shots/screenshot, Walla system!
Correspondence shots/screenshot, Walla system!
Correspondence shots/screenshot, Walla system!
Correspondence shots/screenshot, Walla system!
One incident from Black Saturday clearly illustrates the unique work of the brigade's intelligence personnel: the murder of the late Hadar and Itai Berdichevsky in the village of Gaza, whose twin babies remained in the safe room for 17 hours until they were rescued. "We received information about a pair of twins whose parents were murdered," says Sergeant Major (res.) A., "One of them whispered to me in a voice message that the twins were there and needed to be rescued. People reported to me that they were trying to open the door for them. There was shooting outside the window, they heard Arabic in the house, someone was recording the footsteps of terrorists on the roof. There was a story about a couple who started running out of air in the safe room. They couldn't breathe, the baby was in distress. Direct the Givati fighters there, who will come to the house and save the couple with the baby and the dog."
Intelligence also helped eliminate the terrorist who was holding thousands of Gazans hostage. Ahmad Siyam/IDF Spokesperson
Correspondence shots/screenshot, Walla system!
In another case, the special operations room of intelligence officials in the Givati Brigade received information about the late Ofir Liebstein, head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, and his wife, who remained besieged for many hours in the safe room. "Classic intelligence did not provide an answer, so the reservists of Givati intelligence strove for contact. They closed circles, and together we saved dozens. The information was passed on to the field, and that's how we managed to direct forces to neutralize terrorists and rescue civilians. During the operations, soldiers from the Givati Brigade were killed in heroic actions. Real fighting."
Over the past three weeks, intelligence officials in Givati's reserves have taken part in significant operations of attacking enemy targets, closing circles and assassinating senior Hamas figure Ahmed Tayam.
- More on the subject:
- Iron Sword War
- Gaza War
- Givati
- longing
- Nahal Oz
- Gaza Village