Givati Officers Recount the Horrors and Heroism of October 7
Two Givati Brigade reserve officers recall their harrowing combat experiences on October 7, 2023, detailing their race to the south, rescue operations at the Nova festival, and the 44-hour battle in Kfar Aza.
Lieutenant Colonel (res.) A. and Captain (res.) N. still remember every single detail of October 7, 2023, and the two brutal days that followed. As former soldiers of the Givati Brigade, they rushed to the front lines the moment the Hamas attacks began, fighting their way through Sderot, the Nova music festival site, and Kfar Aza.
"We woke up to the sound of sirens, and shortly after, I received a frantic phone call from an IDF officer in the south telling me he was in a firefight with terrorists," said Lt. Col. A. Without hesitation, he put on his uniform and drove south to Shizor, linking up with IDF forces to join the counter-offensive. Meanwhile, Captain N. was in Netanya when he received a desperate call from his sister-in-law, who was trapped at the Nova music festival near Re'im. Unarmed except for a pistol and wearing civilian clothes, he immediately drove south to rescue her.
At the Nova festival site, the officers witnessed unimaginable horror, checking hundreds of bodies for signs of life. Guided by a festival organizer's map, they combed the open fields near Nahal Grar, rescuing 30 young people hiding from terrorists. Their heroic efforts eventually led them to Kfar Aza, where fierce, room-to-room combat lasted for 44 grueling hours without food or adequate supplies.
"We fought through Kfar Aza house by house, clearing terrorists and rescuing trapped families," recounted Lt. Col. A. Both officers admitted that at certain points during the intense battles, they believed they would not make it out alive, preparing themselves to fight to the very end to protect Israeli civilians.
