"Soft and polished compared to what we saw": the hell of Givati officers on October 7

Lt. Col. (res.) A. and Capt. (res.) N. recount the 44 hours of fighting in the Gaza envelope on October 7, 2023, from rescue battles at the Nova party to face-to-face combat in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The two describe a sense of imminent death, fighting without full equipment, and rescuing trapped families while risking their lives.

Lt. Col. (res.) A. and Capt. (res.) N., reserve officers in the Givati Brigade, recount in an interview with Maariv the 44 intense hours of fighting they experienced on October 7, 2023. Lt. Col. A., a Jerusalem resident who served as the brigade's combat commander, woke to sirens and received a desperate call from an officer in the south. Capt. N. woke in Netanya, heard about terrorist infiltrations, and received an emergency call from his sister-in-law who was at the Nova party. He set out south with only a pistol and civilian clothes, and along the way picked up a journalist's helmet in Sderot. The two scanned the Nova area, rescued survivors, and were then sent to Kfar Aza. There they conducted face-to-face battles for 44 hours, without food, believing they would not survive. They rescued trapped families, including killing a terrorist with a stun grenade. The interview describes a sense of imminent death, the release of tension, and the preparation of an oral will.