The perimeter fence of the outpost, located only half a mile from the Gaza border, was secured by just one guard, the investigation found.
A probe by the Israel Defense Forces into the capture of its Nahal Oz military base by Hamas and Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, which was made public on Monday, described the ability to defend the border outpost as “the biggest failure” that day. At the same time, it highlighted the heroism of the soldiers who risked their lives to fend off the attack.
The investigation, which was shared with local media on Monday night, revealed that Nahal Oz, just half a mile from the Gaza border, was supposed to be a forward base but was treated as a rear outpost amid financial constraints. It was overrun in just under two hours.
As the terrorists launched their assault at 6:29 a.m. on Oct. 7, 162 soldiers were stationed at Nahal Oz—only 90 of them armed. Of the 90, 81 were trained as combat soldiers.