October 16, 2023: Many Hamas attackers were chased away or killed when they encountered unexpected resistance in the Negev Desert between Gaza and the Israeli border. The October 7 Hamas offensive began with the use of thousands of long-range rockets against Israeli towns and cities. Simultaneously, thousands of Hamas gunmen advanced towards the Israeli border and blasted or cut their way through. The Israeli border guards were outnumbered and either killed or retreated. The first Israeli communities Hamas encountered were several Kibbutz settlements. These were deliberately created and organized to provide residents with employment in agriculture or manufacturing and a government quickly installed when the Kibbutz was founded.

Kibbutz were an Israeli concept developed and modified over the years to quickly establish a stable and safe new community. A Kibbutz has a security supervisor and not many weapons. The security supervisor finds and trains capable residents to use the few weapons available as well as how to get all the residents to safe places until the danger, usually a rocket attack or some gunfire, has passed.

In Gaza, Hamas quickly encountered a Kibbutz that was holding a dance party with more than 3,000 participants. This concentration of civilians was an easy target and over 200 of the civilians were killed and many more wounded. At the same time, Kibbutz members reported to the Israeli military and other Kibbutz in the area that trouble was headed their way. The Hamas gunmen stole vehicles where they could and advanced quickly, but in smaller groups. That’s where they ran into trouble at two other Gaza Kibbutz that had time to prepare for their unwanted and homicidal guest.

The next Kibbutz encountered had Inbal Lieberman, a 26-year-old woman as the Kibbutz security supervisor. She was the youngest security supervisor ever and got the job because she was good at dealing with emergencies. The approaching Hamas gunmen were such an emergency. Lieberman quickly got everyone inside, often into a bomb shelter. Most Israeli homes have a bomb shelter. Then Lieberman gathered a dozen people who had volunteered to help in an emergency and distributed the twelve rifles and pistols she had available for that. Most adult male residents had served briefly in the army and knew how to use weapons and deploy to face a threat. Lieberman deployed her gunmen in ambush positions to make use of surprise to kill as many Hamas men as possible. It worked and 25 of the 30-armed Hamas attackers were killed while five escaped and did not return. Lieberman killed five of the Hamas attackers and maintained the security watch until the army told her it was safe to let people leave their shelters. For her exceptional efforts, Israelis, including senior leaders, declared Lieberman a hero. She was that but there were others who fought back as individuals and caused the Hamas gunmen to go look for unarmed and less determined Israeli civilians to kill.

Finally, there were several civilians who remembered the medical training they received in the army and had emergency medical supplies that they took with them to the first Kibbutz that was attacked to treat the many wounded. These men talked their way past the checkpoints and made a difference.