JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Astonishing footage from the Hamas attack on Kerem Shalom, the kibbutz which lies on the southwestern perimeter of Israel, shows the ease with which Hamas terrorists succeeded in driving to the border on motorcycles, blowing up the various fences and blockades which were supposed to impede their progress.
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The footage, aired on Israel’s Channel 12, was taken from the headcam of one of the terrorists. Within minutes about 10-12 terrorists reached the wall which was effectively the only fence between them and the kibbutz and walked through into the kibbutz. At no point did the terrorists encounter any IDF military opposition to their advance, despite using explosions to breach the fences.
The first opposition the terrorists encountered was the local guard, consisting of 6 soldiers and nine members of the kibbutz. Despite their inferior weaponry and numbers, the defenders succeeded in eliminating 22 of the terrorists, including presumably the person with the headcam, as he can be seen falling and then the defenders spoke in Hebrew, telling Ilya (the head of the local guard) to “get the entire IDF here.”
The defenders did not know that the IDF was dealing with similar crises in 21 other communities and towns, but fortunately a helicopter carrying soldiers did land near Kerem Shalom and engaged another group of 50 terrorists who had infiltrated towards the kibbutz.
During the fighting several soldiers were killed, including Brigade Commander Yonatan Steinberg HyD., but they stopped the other terrorists from reaching Kerem Shalom.
In the kibbutz itself two members, Amichai Weitzen and Moshe Yedidia Raziel, were killed by the terrorists and one other person was seriously wounded, but they saved the entire kibbutz with their heroism.
Amichai and Moshe Yedidia HyD
It should be noted that Kerem Shalom almost disbanded a few years ago due to lack of membership, but a nucleus of religious nationalist people joined the kibbutz, strengthening the local community, with the religious and secular members living in harmony together. Eventually many members of this religious nucleus were part of the group which saved the kibbutz, including the local guard leader Ilya Ben-Simon.