When Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel in the early hours of October 7, most IDF soldiers based around the Gaza border area were still asleep in their beds. It was a Saturday morning and the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah. Not much out of the ordinary was supposed to happen. However, over a thousand terrorists infiltrated Israeli border communities and IDF bases, carrying out the most heinous massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Over 1,400 Israelis have died since October 7 and some 220 are still being kept hostage in Gaza.
Battalion 13 and Battalion 51 of the IDF’s Golani Brigade were among the first to respond to the brutal attack by Hamas on that Saturday morning. The soldiers fought fierce and stubborn battles against hundreds of terrorists in the Kissufim and Nahal Oz kibbutzim near the Gaza border, repelling the attackers and helping save many lives.
The battalions, which suffered many losses, are currently undergoing extensive, in-depth training for the next phase of combat. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, and although airstrikes have been ongoing since the start of the conflict, troops are still awaiting the green light for a ground invasion.
“The heroism of the fallen of the 13th Battalion accompanies us in every step we take”
Lt. Col. Tomer Greenberg
“The heroism of the fallen of the 13th Battalion accompanies us in every step we take,” stated the commander of the 13th Battalion, Lt. Col. Tomer Greenberg. “We are preparing for a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, with grueling training and both self and group evaluations that will finally prepare us to fight and win.
“This time, we are the ones who will surprise. We will go with focused minds, with all the advanced capabilities and the high standard of the battalion, and we will be the ones who win!”
‘There will be a maneuver, and when it arrives, we will win.’
“About three weeks have passed since that murderous Saturday when the battalion fought and did its best to fulfill the mission,” 51st Battalion commander, Lt. Col. Meir Ohayon said. “In those testing hours, the battalion’s soldiers demonstrated extraordinary courage and fighting spirit. We use every minute for training, together as a group and as individuals. Everyone finds the best within himself and we don’t forget our values, we are fighting for our home. There will be a maneuver, and when it arrives, we will win.”
Last Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with soldiers from both the 51st and 13th Golani battalions stationed near the Gaza border.
“They fought like lions,” Netanyahu said of the soldiers who responded to the Hamas attacks, “and they will [continue to] fight like lions.”
He continued, telling them: “The entire nation of Israel stands behind you, and we will strike at our enemies until we achieve victory.”
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