The Miracles at Kerem Shalom: A Shabbat Unlike Any Other

Dudi Rabi, a member of the Kerem Shalom emergency squad, shares his emotional account of the miraculous events that occurred on the morning of Simchat Torah, which saved him and his neighbors. "The incident began with alarms that jolted us out of bed," he recalls in a special interview. "At six-thirty in the morning, we started hearing alarms more frequently than we ever had. My wife, my seven children, and I rushed to the shelter. Even our holiday guests crammed in with us until there was no room left. I couldn’t believe then that this was just the beginning of an event that would last for hours and is still unfolding."

Rabi takes us back to the days before the massacre in the border region that forever changed Israel. "Until the eve of Simchat Torah, being part of the emergency squad wasn’t something I thought about much," he admits. "Though our kibbutz took defense seriously—training us several times a year thanks to our security coordinator, Elia Ben Shimol—I didn’t fully grasp its importance. Who could have imagined what was to come on October 7? This is why the advanced border fence was constructed—to even prevent tunnel infiltrations into Israel..."

Yet, as we know, it happened. On Simchat Torah morning, Kerem Shalom was attacked like many other southern communities, in a way Israel hadn't experienced since its founding.

What miracles accompanied you on that Simchat Torah morning?

"First, it was a tremendous miracle that we had rifles. Without them, it would have been difficult to fight the militants' Kalashnikovs—due to the extended shooting capacity of rifles and the higher bullet count compared to regular guns. We had these rifles due to our proximity to the Strip," he explains. Indeed, Kerem Shalom, where religious and secular residents coexist, is only a few dozen meters from the smart border fence. This proximity also means that on the side of Kerem Shalom near the Strip, a concrete wall instead of a regular fence was erected.

"Additionally," he quickly adds, "all day we witnessed many large miracles. We saw a new miracle at almost every moment."

An Unexpected Message from the Security Coordinator

How did you realize the event was more significant than just rocket launches?

"It took us a while. Usually, we have intel alerts about possible infiltrations or other unusual events, but on Simchat Torah, as it turned out, the system was caught by surprise, so there was no prior alert. Luckily, as I walked to the shelter, I decided to take my phone fearing a life-threatening situation. After closing the shelter door, I quickly checked for any severe security alerts. A message from the emergency squad group indicated that our security coordinator indeed requested us to gear up due to an infiltration. The message came at 06:45. Minutes later, he received a voice message from a neighboring kibbutz's security coordinator, informing him of motorbikes carrying militants inside Israel. Unfortunately, the sender is no longer with us," Rabi says sadly.

"Our success in fighting off the militants was thanks to significant divine help. Without a doubt, we witnessed divine providence. Furthermore, it appears that when the militants encountered resistance, they decided to retreat, not only at Kerem Shalom. But it was not that simple," he adds.

What did you do after receiving the message from the security coordinator?

"I took my weapon and headed out to the meeting point. The security coordinator advised us to move in pairs. Minutes later, the militants were already in the kibbutz. One of our great miracles was how fast the emergency squad mobilized, allowing us to preempt the militants and surprise them."

(Photo: Haim Goldberg / Flash 90)

The first four militants breached the kibbutz at 07:00. The former security coordinator of the area, whose home was near theirs, identified them through his surveillance cameras and alerted the current coordinator.

"At the kibbutz were four soldiers from the Nahal Brigade's reconnaissance unit alongside ten members of the emergency squad," Rabi continues. "The security coordinator summoned them, and they proceeded to the infiltration site. Upon arrival, they spotted the militants, shot them, and eliminated two at close range. Two others fled the scene but returned later intending to continue their killing spree. They were eliminated upon re-entry. One of our soldiers was lightly wounded in combat and was taken to the home of the former security coordinator, while we were forced to continue battling, leaving him there injured. Luckily, his condition didn’t worsen, and his life was saved."

Misidentified Militants

At 07:05, Rabi, who serves as the security coordinator's deputy, and another emergency squad member were securing the center of the kibbutz, as the fighting force dispersed throughout Kerem Shalom: "The center was quiet for a while until suddenly seven heavily armed soldiers appeared. They wore IDF uniforms and spoke Arabic, but we didn’t shoot at them, thinking they were Arabic-speaking IDF soldiers. Not long ago, the area was secured by members of the Bedouin battalion, so we were sure it was them.

"To be sure, we shouted 'IDF, IDF' to confirm they were our soldiers. But they responded by opening fire on us. We didn’t retaliate, still thinking they were our troops and shooting by mistake. But when we yelled 'IDF' again and they fired once more, we realized they were militants. We caught them exactly when they were planning to disperse, take over the kibbutz, and commit the same atrocities their associates did elsewhere. We surprised them at that critical moment."

A fierce shootout ensued between Rabi and his fellow squad member and the seven militants. "I radioed in while my colleague fired at the militants, asking more squad members to join and combat them. As I communicated, the militants decided to split up. Six moved forward, intending to rampage through the community, while one crept towards us, set on eliminating us. Armed with a grenade, he approached us through the bushes, with the danger concealed from us. But then, just before he acted, I saw a head peek out from the bushes. We later discovered that the grenade was already devoid of its safety pin. He just needed to throw it our way, and I wouldn't have been here to recount this story. But by divine grace, we preempted him, opened fire, and eliminated him before he could fulfill his plan."

What happened to the other six militants that planned to raid the kibbutz?

"Another force arrived, split up, and flanked the six militants from both sides, successfully neutralizing them all. When we searched the militants, it became evident they came heavily equipped. They had machine guns, RPGs, grenades, shrapnel grenades, and more. It’s easy to imagine the disaster we prevented by eliminating them."

(Photo: Haim Goldberg / Flash 90)

Rabi notes that throughout the day, more militants attempted to breach Kerem Shalom: "Shortly after we neutralized the seven militants who entered the kibbutz, our squad began hearing Kalashnikov fire. The shots didn’t come from the Egyptian or Gazan border but within Israel, from the industrial area of Kerem Shalom, where chicken coops and solar farms are located.

"It turns out the militants knew exactly where they were headed. They were aware of a back gate to the kibbutz—a gate not in the wall—and easily breached it. We all swiftly moved to the area and spread out to confront them. Thankfully, a relatively large space, including the industrial area, separated the gate from the residents' homes."

The kibbutz members spread out around Kerem Shalom's inner fence, starting at 10:00 AM. From that moment, the emergency squad fought militants for two hours, battling for their lives and the lives of all kibbutz inhabitants. "The firefight was rather static," he recalls. "We shot towards the militants, seeing them peek from between different sections of the solar panels. Meanwhile, the militants managed to advance slightly, spreading between the solar panels. They set them ablaze, perhaps to cause economic damage or to create a smokescreen allowing them to approach and attack us.

"Simultaneously, there was an attempt at a mounted raid from the kibbutz's southeast, towards the gate. Motorbikes and jeeps attempted to ram the gate to demolish it. We shot at them, managing to hit some and deter others.

"During the heat of the battle," continues the emergency squad member recounting the unbelievable fight for Kerem Shalom, "the owner of the solar panels, near which we battled, called the security coordinator. This individual habitually calls the coordinator during rocket launches to ascertain any damage to his panels. At that moment, we naturally ignored his call, as we couldn't be bothered with economic damages while under a life-threatening situation. But the owner persisted: he sent images of the militants to the coordinator, suggesting he could guide us to them via the security cameras spread across the area.

"These images," Rabi shares, "revealed the depth of our predicament. It turned out we were facing a serious group of at least twenty militants. We understood the area was swarming with militants and that we needed military assistance, but the military's presence was void at that moment. In despair, the regional command said, 'the situation is dire, try to survive.' We realized the task was insurmountable since we, as an emergency squad, weren’t a specialized unit and weren’t trained for prolonged fighting. When you add the numerical disparity and ammunition gaps, we faced an impossible situation. After that message, we began conserving ammunition for the hours to come."

"But amidst the battle, a soldier in the command unit updated the security coordinator with good news. He reported that a combat helicopter could come and assist us in the fight. Following the conversation, we moved back. Shortly afterward, a helicopter arrived, dropping a single bomb on the militants. At that moment, we didn’t comprehend why it didn’t fire multiple shots at the large number of militants in front of us, but afterwards, it connected with us, revealing: 'When I arrived, I couldn’t see any militants. All were well-hidden under the solar panels. I dropped a bomb as a precaution, and then I saw them: dozens of militants emerged from their hideouts and fled. There were at least fifty militants I saw fleeing the scene.'

Did the helicopter ultimately help you?

"Yes, that bomb was part of our salvation," Rabi declares. "The helicopter's gunfire led to the retreat of most militants present."

Militants Breach

A pivotal moment in the Kerem Shalom battle was when militants raided a family home in the kibbutz. "We discovered this when a resident called us, reporting hearing Arabic from inside the home," Rabi recounts.

"At that moment, we didn’t know from where they breached, but later realized that alongside the mortar fire, the militants blasted through the concrete wall. It was through here that four militants arrived near the former security coordinator's home and where the seven militants I encountered earlier in the day entered. God willing, during the periods of our ignorance of this breach, no militants penetrated, even though numerous militants passed nearby. Here it's crucial to understand," he clarifies, "the breached wall area is very close to the Strip."

How did the breach in the family home end?

"This is the tragedy that befell Kerem Shalom," he sighs. "Initially, two emergency squad members approached the home. One of them heard an explosive at the shelter door, leading to the severe injury of the family patriarch. Subsequently, the militants attacked and killed two of the emergency squad members, Amichai Witzan and Yedidya Raziel, may their memories be blessed. Eventually, the militants were neutralized."

"Through their bravery, Amichai and Yedidya saved an entire family and the rest of the kibbutz from a massacre. Sadly, Kerem Shalom also experienced significant pain and sorrow, but undeniably, it witnessed a great miracle, especially in light of the grim events in nearby communities," Rabi concludes.