Just over a day after Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza border fence, unleashing a deadly terrorist attack that claimed more than 700 lives, an IDF observer stationed in Gaza has opened up about her experiences during those intense and challenging moments.
As reported by the Hebrew website Mako, she took to social media to recount the events: "I began my shift at 4:00 a.m., a shift that would turn into a nightmare. I never imagined I would witness such horrors from the observation post, but I did my best."
She said, "They caught us off guard; we were unprepared. With many of our colleagues away for Sukkot and Shabbat, and no prior intelligence, we had no idea what was coming."
'Hamas roamed freely'
"I tended to the wounded as terrorists freely roamed our base, our second home, and ruthlessly took the lives of our comrades," the observer continued. "I had been training for this moment for two years, but nothing can truly prepare you for the stark reality. The chaos, the bloodshed—it's unimaginable.
"We spent 16 agonizing hours holed up in a small hospital, clinging to hope and prayers. We did everything we could."
Another observer weighed in on the criticism directed at the IDF, defending their actions.
"The women on duty there work tirelessly to prevent infiltrations and incidents you never hear about. But this time, circumstances were beyond their control. They gave it their all," she wrote.
She further emphasized, "Even the most skilled observer cannot manage a situation after being targeted on camera or attempting to make contact with no response. Eighteen-year-old girls cared for their injured comrades, hiding for over eight hours from roaming terrorists who took the lives of their closest friends from the battalions."