Thirty-three civilians and security personnel were killed in the span of 40 minutes during the Hamas-led invasion of the Negev city.
The Israel Defense Forces failed to protect Ofakim, a city of some 40,000 residents located 12.5 miles west of Beersheva, during the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre led by Hamas, an internal investigation report released by the military on Monday concludes.
The investigation further found that the bravery and quick battle engagements of police officers, civilians and soldiers on the scene were the primary reasons the killing spree was halted at a relatively early stage.
Fifteen Palestinian terrorists from Gaza invaded Ofakim a little after 7 a.m., murdering 11 civilians in the first four minutes of the attack, according to Ynet. This number went up to 25 civilians and eight security forces personnel in the subsequent 36 minutes, the report added.