Latest news with #Moshav
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oct. 7 probe in Mivtahim reveals military failure, massacre thwarted by small security squad
The probe revealed that a small emergency response squad, along with a single special forces soldier, prevented the massacre in the moshav. An IDF probe into the events that occurred on October 7 at Moshav Mivtahim in southern Israel revealed that the military failed to protect the moshav after the Hamas terror group infiltrated in the early morning hours. No military forces arrived until 1 a.m. that night, the probe showed. The probe also revealed that a small emergency response squad, along with a single special forces soldier, prevented the massacre that was planned to take place in the moshav. Only four members of the response squad were armed at the time. The military released a full timeline of the events from the beginning of the day, mapping out the order of events as they occurred. 6:35 a.m.: Hamas terrorists crossed into Israeli territory and moved toward Mivtahim. 6:43 a.m.: The regional security officer alerted the emergency squad via WhatsApp due to a confirmed infiltration. 6:47 a.m.: Mivtahim's security coordinator reached out to his counterpart on Moshav Yesha and activated his squad. Simultaneously, forces from Golani's 51st Battalion and tanks began handling 10 infiltration routes, which turned out to be dozens in hindsight. A security coordinator reported a confrontation at the Mivtahim junction. 7:25 a.m.: A wounded civilian from the junction reached a shelter in Moshav Yesha. The deputy security coordinator of Yesha called for medical aid and met with Mivtahim's security coordinator to assess the situation. 7:43 a.m.: Mivtahim's security coordinator and another squad member went to the junction. They joined the police and a Sde Nitzan resident, and engaged in battle against terrorists on the western side of the junction. 8:00 a.m.: Terrorists entered from the west through the fields. A squad member replaced the security coordinator in commanding the junction, as the security coordinator returned to the moshav, realizing fighting was underway. 8:15 a.m.: A squad member and an armed civilian encountered wounded workers near the synagogue and led them to a shelter. The security coordinator and another member arrived shortly after. 8:18 a.m.: The security coordinator-led team headed to a traffic circle and spotted terrorists throwing grenades at homes. A resident warned them from his window. Low on ammunition, they tried to reach a vehicle under fire—one was injured, and his weapon jammed. Terrorists entered the yards of two homes. The Yesha deputy security coordinator came to help. 8:22 a.m.: The deputy security coordinator and a squad member from Yesha arrived, split up, and fought. A special forces soldier home on leave realized what was happening and joined the fight. All three were likely ambushed and killed. Another squad member from Yesha was later killed near the community center. The deputy security coordinator was killed near the kindergarten while trying to get reinforcements. 8:30 a.m.: The security coordinator from Moshav Amioz arrived at the traffic circle after seeing WhatsApp reports and engaged in firefighting, later returning to Amioz, where his vehicle broke down. 8:40 a.m.: Terrorists broke into a resident's home but failed to breach the protected safe room where the family resisted. 9:40 a.m.: Terrorists stole cars from the traffic circle and left the moshav. Three others who remained wandered around the yards for hours before being captured. 10:27 a.m.: Four additional terrorists entered from the greenhouse area. 10:31 a.m.: A counter-terror unit (LOTAR) from the Arava region arrived, fired at terrorists, and forced them to retreat. 11:00 a.m.: Police forces arrived, called in reinforcements, and began searches. Ten minutes later, LOTAR began guided searches based on resident reports. 13:30 a.m.: Units captured three terrorists who had tied up foreign workers in a resident's yard. Ultimately, the findings of the probe concluded that the events that occurred reflected an operational military failure. The terrorists' massacre plan was disrupted due to the emergency squad and its members, the probe showed. It was also concluded that Mivtahim's emergency squad met official standards, but due to policy changes, not all members were armed or equipped, as the squad wasn't trained for an infiltration of this scale. Further, no significant military force took responsibility for the moshav until 1:00 a.m.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Emotional trauma in a post-October 7 world: How are Israel's children coping?
'Many children, especially the younger ones, are suffering from emotional trauma,' educational psychologist and former longtime school principal Dr. Zipi Golan told The Jerusalem Post. 'So says the Lord: A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are not. So says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is reward for your work, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, and the children shall return to their own border.' – Jeremiah 31:14-16 Since the horrific Hamas attack on the South on October 7, 2023, 'Many children, especially the younger ones, are suffering from emotional trauma,' educational psychologist and former longtime school principal Dr. Zipi Golan told The Jerusalem Post. Children 'must be given tools with which to cope,' Golan said. She advises parents to read stories to their children. Many books have been written and published since the outbreak of the war that can help children understand that they are not alone. Living on a moshav near Ashkelon, Golan has not only been exposed to the intense stress of the Israel-Hamas War, up close, but also to continuous missile attacks from Hamas terrorists in the South for decades. Golan launched a private counseling center in 2016 that now has three branches: at Moshav Ge'a where she lives, just a 10-minute drive from theGaza border; in Yavneh; and in Rishon Lezion. Today, she treats children and families affected by the war – and even children who have returned from captivity. She explained that, due to the war, there are some children who refuse to leave their parents' proximity, shower alone, or be in a closed room. 'I have been in the teaching profession for over 30 years and the cases I have encountered in this war have managed to surprise me,' she said. 'Many children have been severely affected by the war, not only from the South but also from the center of the country, and we don't know how long their situation will last,' she said. Golan explained that the situation could be the cause of 'serious effects on functioning later in life.' 'I think I have helped prevent kids from committing suicide – not by stopping before jumping out of a window but by allowing them to talk. The holder of a PhD in educational psychology, Golan has been a school principal in Ashkelon for over three decades, as well as also a member of the Education Ministry's appeals committee to dealing with various problems and complaints about schools. Even after she retired from teaching at schools, Golan said, she wanted 'to continue to help kids and parents.' 'I felt there were weak points in schools, which are unable to help with everything. Parenting is a profession, so fathers and mothers need counseling, but many seek help only when the situation is very bad.' In general, parents are put under a lot of pressure, she said. 'They are busy trying to make ends meet as prices are very high. Women come home late after taking their young children home from after-school programs in which the teachers or child minders may not have have enough training. 'Youngsters need to learn rules, boundaries, and values. If they abuse their smartphones during class or use them to cheat, they should be confiscated during classes. A child without boundaries is insecure,' Golan said As a principal, she said, 'I felt that coaching and being in close contact with the parents was very important. Once a year, there were visits to the homes of all the youngsters.' She advises, 'If a student gets a low grade on a test or an assignment, he or she must be encouraged. At her centers, Golan meets with kindergarten children who are about to enter first grade. 'I don't teach numbers or letters but getting used to the different behaviors and rules in elementary school. It can be very scary to make this transition,' she said, comparing it to the move 'from sixth grade in elementary school to junior high school. She points out that there are teachers who aren't suited to their jobs. 'I don't blame them but rather those who gave them their teaching degrees!' An educator must his or her honor pupils, Golan believes. 'If they don't have an answer when a student asks, it isn't shameful to say 'I don't know, but I will learn about it.' Thanks to Google and the Internet, many youngsters know more than their teachers. Despite the current situation, Golan said she has faith in the younger generation and in the future of the State of Israel. She described the country's current youth as 'an excellent generation.' ■ Sign up for the Health & Wellness newsletter >>
