Out of the enormous night of horrors documented in the October 7 videos, there was one chilling scene that managed to crack the veil of toughness of Superintendent Reut Anavim, head of the Cyber Investigations Department and head of the forensic compound in Lahav Unit 433. Security camera video from inside a small building showed a terrified woman whose terrified gaze focused on the front door and adjacent window. She ducked behind a small pile of objects, which did not hide even half of her body, and gathered herself in a desperate and hopeless attempt not to be discovered.
"You see the woman walking and coming back, peeking outside, trying to find hiding, but there is no safe room, no closets and nothing to hide her," Reut describes in a quiet voice. "Two terrorists broke down the door with their guns drawn and immediately noticed it. The footage is soundless, but you can see a discussion between her and the terrorists. From her facial expressions and hand movements, it is clear that she is begging for her life. Surprisingly, they leave the building and leave her alive. The woman breathed a sigh of relief and so did I. I looked at her through the computer screen, and she seemed calmer and waiting to be rescued.
"That's how an hour went by, maybe a little more. Suddenly, the woman got up and peeked out the window. Again she ran from place to place looking for shelter. The door opened and two other terrorists entered. She slumped in the corner of the room and begged for her life once more. The terrorists did not say a word, examined the place with their eyes, indifferently raised their weapons and simply murdered her. I have seen countless shocking scenes in these videos, but a person who believes that he received his life as a gift and lost himself is the one who finished me. I can only imagine what horror she went through just before she died, when she realized that this time was the end."
Lahav 200 currently has 433,<> videos, which is investigating the Black Sabbath massacre and collecting evidence to be used as part of the indictment against Hamas terrorists.
Disguised as IDF soldiers, including a hat on the helmet. Hamas terrorists on Black Saturday, photo: from the videos held by Lahav 433
More than 20 cyber researchers, including EMS (compulsory police service) soldiers and young computer science
students, share the millions of minutes that combine pure evil, blazing hatred, cruel beastliness and unprecedented deranged hooliganism. They stop the videos repeatedly, rewind, take screenshots and record the sights in writing.
This brutality was fully watched by Superintendent Reut – one of only two women in the unit who witnessed all the digital documentation of the massacre that exists so far in Israel.
Are you troubled by the fact that there are media outlets in the world that still echo the version that there was no massacre?
"They will adhere to the same position even if they watch the video of atrocities, because that is their agenda. In my opinion, their despicable report receives an appropriate response from the State of Israel. I have no doubt that with the indictment being filed and the evidence being exposed to the whole world, it will no longer be possible to deny what happened here on Black Saturday. There are beheadings, amputations, brutal murder, burning of people and babies alive.
"In 433, a broad body of evidence has been gathered, which also relies on terrorist investigations and diverse testimonies, and will lead to the filing of one of the most serious indictments in the world. All these things together create a snapshot of the largest and most documented multi-front terrorism in the world."
"They dragged kidnapped people and beat them." Superintendent Reut Anavim, Photo: Arik Sultan
Did you spot any recently released abductive videos?
"Yes. It was a moment of comfort in this crazy reality. I was excited. After each beat of release, I came to work a little happier. We saw the abductees in moments of fear and were comforted to see them smiling."
"Identifying the abductees"
The forensic compound of the cyber unit looks like a large war room full of computers. Next to each screen sit two researchers, watching the same footage together so that each of them does not have to deal with the harsh sights alone.
One pair repeatedly runs a shocking video taken from the terrorists' white pickup truck camera. It is impossible not to recognize the road adjacent to Kibbutz Re'im and the row of burned cars, which have become one of the painful symbols of October 7. The body of a young woman lies bleeding on the road and her colorful clothes contrast so much with the gloomy atmosphere.
The 200,<> videos in the possession of the police, which were also collected by the Shin Bet and the IDF, together form a kind of documentary envelope that will present to the world the crimes of Hamas against humanity. The footage came from many and varied sources - from dozens of terrorists' body cameras, through the cameras of their vehicles to the private mobile phones they left in the field. They are supplemented by enormous documentation produced by security cameras of communities, private homes, factories and gas stations, along with many videos taken by Israeli citizens.
To illustrate, 54,095 videos were collected from Kfar Gaza, 21,459 from Nova Party, 11,666 from Kibbutz Be'eri, and 5,955 from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Superintendent Reut Anavim: "In 433, a broad infrastructure of evidence was collected, which also relies on terrorist investigations and diverse testimonies, and will lead to the filing of one of the most serious indictments in the world. All these things together create a snapshot of the largest and most documented multi-front terrorism in the world."
"The documentation that surfaced on Hamas networks and Telegram was kept by us from day one and is part of the database, even if the terrorists delete everything with them," Reut explains about the complex collection.
"In addition, we went out into the field and made up gaps from bodies and structures along the massacre and combat zones. Sometimes a video seems a little detached, but we manage to cross-check with documentation taken from other places and from different angles, in order to put together one situation. For example, one of the videos on Telegram shows abductees being led to Gaza and everything is vague, blurry and unclear. In the body camera of one of the terrorists, we found clear footage of the same group in which we can see the lead and the faces of the terrorists and identify the abductees."
Were all terrorists equipped with GoPro cameras?
"Body cameras were not on all the thousands who infiltrated into Israeli territory, nor on all of Hamas' Nukhba fighters, but only on senior officials such as division commanders and division commanders. We have only a few dozen cameras, but we've produced hundreds of videos from them. However, it is already known that quite a few of the atrocities were not documented by the terrorists."
You mean the rapes?
"For example. There is also no visual documentation of harsh acts committed on babies, but there is a combination of photographic forensic material, along with interrogations of terrorists and many testimonies of ZAKA, survivors, civilians and soldiers. It's about working with different layers backing each other up. From this fabric the indictment will be composed."
Does the documentation also indicate the involvement of Gazan civilians in genocide?
"It can be said unequivocally that the atrocities were not committed only by those in uniform, as in the first wave of Nukhbahs or the second wave of militants.
"These civilians are illegal fighters, who didn't come just to loot, which is also serious. There is clear footage on the towns' cameras showing them taking weapons from soldiers who were killed and shooting Israeli civilians. They stabbed with knives and were involved in burning houses with their occupants. In some videos, they are also seen kidnapping Israelis. They dragged abductees by force and beat them all the way."
Reut, 39, routinely deals with pedophilia investigations, crypto and forex scams, cybercrimes against youth and murders. When the massacre began, she reported to the Center for Families of the Missing and was in charge of shifts.
"That was the initial stage," she says. "The families reported to us about a family member who did not answer, where he was, when was the last contact and what the clothing items were, and we also took DNA. I was there for a few days and moved to Shura Camp, where the fallen were gathered. What I saw in this place I will never forget. Trucks of mutilated, burned bodies with severed limbs. These sights and videos go with me all day, even outside of work hours. Sometimes I dream at night that I'm in a combat zone that combines imaginary situations with the footage I watched."
How do you deal with the harsh effects?
"Everyone has their own way of bringing a little normalization into life. For me, it's sport, because in those moments my head empties. I force myself to disconnect from the videos and talk to friends or family about other things. It's important for me to find my sanity. It is impossible to witness and talk all day long only about bodies, screams and children and abductees.
"In the forensic complex there is a shared destiny and we talk to each other about our feelings. Whoever wants, has at his disposal a psychologist. The police here sit in front of the videos for at least ten hours a day, for two months, and do nothing except watch, analyze and catalogue visual and digital documentation from 7 October and two days later. It's Sisyphean work that tears the soul apart. We are the ones who see what preceded the terrible outcome and put together a puzzle of thousands of pieces from the videos."
"Tragic game of hide-and-seek"
It is hard to believe that the human brain can absorb so much pain without mental consequences. Cyber policemen are aware of the possibility that trauma will shatter in their faces in the future like an IED with a delay fuse.
"In the past, I investigated sexual offenses and rape, and I saw women who were sure that the assault was behind them, and then suddenly it erupts with intensity without preparation," says Maj. Raviv Neumann, 53, who routinely serves as a computer crime investigator. "I have no doubt that the harm to us will come, and I am doing everything possible to reduce it. In the last two months, for example, I've stopped listening to the news or watching in the studios. I just read books or watch sports on TV. It's my escapism, which goes against what we're experiencing here."
Raviv is the father of three sons, two of whom serve as officers in combat units. Their concern intensified when he watched videos showing the terrorists attacking the Gaza Division and the Nahal Oz, Zikim and Orim outposts, where lookouts were staying. "I am horrified time and time again by these videos," he admits. "I thought about what I would do if the two boys, who are twins, served on the same bases. When in front of me is documentation of the abuse of soldiers' bodies, I seal and disconnect, like a kind of defense mechanism, because it's something that a father of soldiers can't contain."
How is the work done in practice?
"When I have to analyze a video of eight local security cameras, documenting the same scene from different angles, it can last over several days and include between 40 and 50 pages. Fast forward countless times and document every detail you see, including date, time and description of the place. We write if there are signs on the way, bus stops, shelters, etc.
"The screenshots of the scenes, the murdered and the terrorists must also be precise. For example, the report of only one car camera, which was caught inside a terrorist van and documented the massacre of a Nova party in Reim, was written over three days and 41 pages."
"Horrified every time." Major Raviv Neumann, Photo: Arik Sultan
Reut is the one who routes the videos between the police officers, and only after they have spoken with a mental health officer and clarified what they are capable of dealing with. "The decision of who will watch what stems from the difficulty levels of the video, not according to localities or types of cameras," she clarifies. "The mirrors are very graphic, so some of the police officers wanted to reduce exposure. There were some here who thought they could cope, but asked to take a break every few days."
Are there police officers who have completely retired?
"Absolutely. It is not easy to see the actions, and certainly with such daily concentration and over time. We accept and understand this and don't hold power to anyone."
Raviv is one of the few police officers who does not select the evidence and is willing to watch the most difficult videos. "I prefer to sit on the sidelines, put on headphones and detach myself from my surroundings so that I can describe the sights as accurately as possible, matter-of-fact and not emotional," he explains. "It doesn't stem from opacity, but from professionalism. We're not just watching and cataloging for an archive – it's evidence that will be used in one of the most complex criminal trials in the history of the country. It is not for nothing that it is compared to the Eichmann trial."
Is there a video that managed to throw you off balance?
"There were a few that broke my heart. One of them is the documentation of the woman who was sure at first that she had escaped murder, but then the two terrorists arrived who did not spare her. In the report, I called this video a 'tragic game of hide-and-seek'. Watching her attempts at survival, when she clearly had no shelter, was tragic in every way.
"סרטון אחר הוא ממצלמת רכב מחבלים ובו ניתן להבחין כבר בהתחלה שחלק מהם התיישב בטנדר מקדימה והשאר עמדו בארגז מאחור, כמו פלנגות, כשהרובים שלהם ומטול אר.פי.ג'י מכוונים קדימה. הם נסעו בכביש, כשמהנתיב הנגדי הופיע רכב ישראלי, וסביר להניח שהנוסעים לא שיערו מי נמצא מולם. בסרטון הזה היה אודיו ושמעתי את הרוצחים האלה מתרגשים מהעובדה שתכף יהיו להם עוד קורבנות יהודים.
"כשהרכב התקרב, הנוסעים הישראלים בו הבינו במה מדובר. הם עצרו וניסו לחזור בבהלה לאחור, אבל התנגשו במעקה הבטיחות.
"שומעים בסרטון שריקה ורקטה של אר.פי.ג'י פוגעת בחלק האחורי של הרכב. הוא עולה באש, מידרדר לכיוון עץ, ורק נוסע אחד הצליח להימלט. אין לי מושג מה קרה עם הנהג או אם היו נוסעים נוספים. זה מזעזע. זו אכזריות קשה של מחבלים מול חוסר אונים של הנוסעים.
רס"ב רביב נוימן: "בחנתי סרטון ממצלמת גוף שנלקחה מהמחבלים וראיתי מרחוק מיגונית. הבנתי שמישהו מתחבא בה כי יש רווח קטן בתחתית ואפשר היה להבחין ברגליים מתרוצצות. התפללתי שהמחבלים יפספסו את האנשים. זה לא קרה"
"במקרה אחר בחנתי סרטון ממצלמת גוף שנלקחה מהמחבלים וראיתי מרחוק מיגונית. הבנתי שמישהו מתחבא בה כי יש רווח קטן בתחתית ואפשר היה להבחין ברגליים מתרוצצות. רציתי באותו רגע להחזיר את הגלגל לאחור והתפללתי שהמחבלים יפספסו את האנשים שם. זה לא קרה. המחבלים הכניסו פנימה את קני הרובים ושומעים 'בום, בום' בצרורות. הם ריססו את המיגונית מבפנים. אין סיכוי שמישהו שם ניצל".
"החובה שלנו לאזרחים"
כל המדינה שמעה על סרטון הזוועות של צה"ל שהוקרן בפני כתבים זרים, כוכבי הוליווד ולאחרונה גם באו"ם. כעת מתברר שהוא לא היחידי. גם בידי להב 433 קיים סרטון דומה, שנועד להסברה, ומורכב מקבוצה מזערית של סרטונים מתוך ה־200 אלף.
בהתחלה נראים בבירור המחבלים שהגיעו בסירות לחוף זיקים כשהם יורים לכל עבר. אחר כך, כמו בסרט אימה, המראות הופכים מחרידים מרגע לרגע ומטלטלים את נפש. הנה התיעוד המוכר וקורע הלב של שני הפעוטות שנותרו ברכב בשדרות, לאחר שהוריהם נרצחו.
ירדו מהסירה וירו לכל עבר. המחבלים מגיעים לחוף זיקים, צילום: מתוך הסרטונים שבידי להב 433
אחר כך זוהי סצנה שבה נראית עו"ד עמית סוסנה, ששוחררה בשבוע שעבר, כשהיא נאבקת בכל כוחה במחבלים החוטפים.
ההתנגדות העיקשת שלה מעוררת הערצה, אולם מצליחה להרגיז את המחבלים. הם משכיבים אותה על הקרקע ואחד מהם מכוון לפניה מכת אגרוף חזקה. לאחר מכן היא נגררת על הרצפה, רגליה חורצות סימנים בחול.
התנגדות מעוררת הערצה. עמית סוסנה נאבקת בחוטפיה, צילום: מתוך הסרטונים שבידי להב 433
The police atrocity video does not spare the stomachs of its viewers. Beheadings, an attempt to amputate organs, and one heart-wrenching moment of children begging for their lives against terrorists who murdered their father seconds earlier.
"Almost all of Unit 433's activity has been diverted toward investigating the events of October 7," said Superintendent Shira Bella, deputy commander of the cyber unit, and the other woman who watched all the videos.
"IU, for example, interrogates terrorists who were apprehended alongside the Shin Bet. The Economic Investigations Unit is responsible for the Center for Families of Missing Persons. The other units – such as YAH, Etgar, Hotline 105 and the Economic Unit – investigate by sector of localities.
"The testimonies and videos build the story of the act, and some of them come from alert squads, survivors, wounded and families. Recently, we again called on citizens to continue bringing original media that they filmed themselves. This is not only about the criminal investigation and the immeasurably important evidentiary infrastructure – the story of the massacre must be compiled for the sake of national memory and as documented and organized information for future generations."
Superintendent Shira Bella: "Recently, we again called on citizens to continue bringing original media that they filmed themselves. This is not only the criminal investigation and the immeasurably important evidentiary infrastructure, the story of the massacre must be incorporated
for the sake of national memory."
When mentioning the younger generation, it's hard not to wonder how Chief of Staff Meshi Hurvitz, a 19-year-old EMS officer, manages to cope with this complex task. She is small and delicate, and in recent years has won two European Acrobatics Championships.
Meshi gave up the opportunity to serve as an outstanding athlete and joined the Cyber Unit about a year ago as an intelligence data analyst. "My life will never be the same again as it was before Black Sabbath. They changed forever," she says. "I've learned to appreciate life a lot more, because it can change in a matter of minutes. I don't know if I've watched all the most horrifying videos, but I did see an amputation.
"I have a very hard time with the cruelty and abuse of soldiers' bodies or with audio documentation. When I hear crying or screaming, my heart shatters. I prefer to watch videos without sound.
"Security cameras of communities, for example, show the contrast in the lives of the residents of the envelope. One moment I see them walking around peacefully, drinking their morning coffee in the yard and in a minute hell. These are moments when I remind myself to disconnect, stay professional and not connect too much, because otherwise I imagine that those closest to me are there. At first I dreamed at night about what I was seeing, but for a moment I didn't think about giving up. Our work is extremely important and it is a record that will remain many years longer than we do."
"Life has changed forever." Rasht Meshi Hurvitz,
Superintendent Reut says that she actually watches the news broadcasts as well. "I do it as a civilian, but also as a police officer," she says. "It could be used as another source of information. When I see family members talking about their kidnapped loved ones, I feel part of the event. We got to know the victims from the videos and stories, and my feelings for them combine identification, sorrow and pain.
"We are the ones who see them in the last moments of their lives and it makes our stomachs clench. I feel that our work here is our duty to the citizens. We will bring the story for those who are no longer with us."
Can you identify the monsters that kidnapped civilians to Gaza?
"In the first days, we documented the external description of the terrorists in the operation reports and attached screenshots, but over time there is feedback from the investigating units. The names became clear. Today I identify some of the terrorists by name, know which cell they are connected to and can connect them to victims or abductees."
Chief of Staff Meshi Hurvitz: "I have a hard time with the cruelty and abuse of soldiers' bodies or with audio documentation. When I hear crying or screaming, my heart shatters. At first I dreamed at night about what I was seeing, but for a moment I didn't think to give up."
"Take care of the soul"
Among the computer screens and the policemen in dark uniforms, Dana, 28, a third-year computer science student at Ben-Gurion University, stands out. In parallel to her studies, she serves in research and development and develops technological tools for the Cyber Unit. Although she appears to be a discharged soldier, Dana is married and the mother of three toddlers.
"I had no hesitation about working in the forensic compound, but as a mother of small children, I asked not to be exposed to videos related to babies and burned bodies," she almost apologizes. "When I came home from the first shift, when I saw the abductees, I ran to the little one, who is one year old, and hugged her tightly. I thought about what would have happened if she had been kidnapped to Gaza. Who would take care of her and feed her? What monsters kidnap babies? It overwhelmed emotions and I became anxious about the children. I worry all the time. We are from Beersheba, and these atrocities could easily have happened there as well."
Dana: "As a mother of small children, I asked not to be exposed to videos related to babies and burned bodies. When I came back from my first shift, I ran to the little one, a year old, and hugged her tightly. I thought about what would have happened if she had been kidnapped. Who would have taken care of her?"
Did you have any hesitations about continuing your forensic work?
"There are days of breaking down in front of the harsh videos, and sometimes I get burned out by the never-ending horrors, but everything is forgotten when I look at the police here.
"This is my contribution to the war effort. I chose the police because I didn't want to just write some code, but to work in a socially meaningful place. The work here is Zionism, and its importance will be remembered for generations."
"What monsters kidnap babies?" Dana, Photo: Arik Sultan
Inspector Hagai Moshe (39), a SIGINT officer in the unit, agrees with Dana. "I remember the first batch of videos," he says. "I immediately noticed the evil in the terrorists' eyes and wanted to help the victims. There were moments when I said to myself, 'How am I not there now?' I saw people being kidnapped and murdered and I was the one watching them in their last moments, from every angle.
"At the very beginning, I stopped watching and listening to the news, and I didn't access any video on Telegram on my phone. Curiosity should not cause the soul to be torn. After long hours of watching the documentation as part of my work, it is important for me to preserve my soul as much as possible. I found that watching the horrors so much damaged my memory. I have like 'black holes' in my brain."
"Brutal abuse never seen before." Hagai Moshe Inspector, Photo: Arik Sultan
It's also important for Hagai not to bring work into his home. "It's only there that I relax, even though I don't tell my wife what I see so as not to put her in this difficult place. When I get home from work, I take a shower and then go into the girls' room, ages 3 and 5, and sleep next to them for half an hour. This has been my regular ritual for the past two months. That's how I feel normal and remind myself that there are other things in life."
Superintendent Hagai Moshe: "When I come home from work, I take a shower and then go into the girls' room, aged 3 and 5, and sleep next to them for half an hour. This has been my regular ritual for the past two months. That's how I feel normal and remind myself that there are other things in life."
Do you have any breaking moments?
"I can't afford it, because there are EMS officers and young students here, and it's important that we maintain resilience for them as well. The hardest moments for me with them are the terrorists' jubilation when they managed to hurt people. They rejoice as an Israeli takes his last breaths at their feet. The terrorists didn't just commit a massacre, it was cruel abuse not seen before."
Have you thought about moving to another role?
"What's up? That's our part in fighting. I feel like the policemen of Bureau 06, who built the criminal case against Eichmann. There they did justice for 6 million, and we here have videos, pictures and sounds. I still don't understand how something like this happened in 2023."
tala@israelhayom.co.il
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