Resistance and Resilience: How One Israeli Farm Village Fought Back against Hamas on October 7th

EIN HABESOR, Israel – The October 7th Hamas attacks devastated many Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. The village of Ein HaBesor, however, tells a different story, one of heroic resistance and remarkable resilience. 

Ein HaBesor is a small farming community, an Israeli moshav just four miles from Gaza. As Hamas terrorists invaded on October 7th, this village became an unlikely stronghold of resistance.

Dr. Yiftak Gepner, a Tel Aviv University professor, lives on the moshav and was there the day the Hamas terrorists attacked.

He described the scene for CBN News. "We realized (from) the first second that this is something different. We took the key to the shelter, and then the chief of security sent us a text message: 'Go to the fence, to the gate. Defend there, people are invading Israel.'"

Almost every single kibbutz and small village around Israel has a large yellow security gate at the entrance and most of the time they stay open. But the Hamas terrorists took advantage of that fact on October 7th by bringing jamming devices that wouldn't let people close those gates, and a split-second decision on the part of the guard at Ein HaBesor probably saved hundreds and hundreds of lives."

As the attack unfolded, villagers found themselves drastically outgunned.

Dr. Gepner recalled, "My brother was the only one with the rifle that time in the front. And when they came, they came with a pickup full of terrorists and motorcycles, and they came fully armed. It wasn't just a terror attack. There was a well-planned military operation."

When Gepner's brother was shot in the shoulder, Yiftak knew he had to get him to a hospital. So he loaded him in his car and sped out the back gate – right into a waiting squad of terrorists.

"We saw the ambush of two pickups and several motorcycles with a bunch of about 30 terrorists that start massive shooting on the car," Gepner explained. "My brother was hit for the second time in his hip and his belly. Several bullets. And we managed to drive in reverse. We accelerate as fast as we can and we managed to escape."

Remarkably, no one from Ein HaBesor was killed or kidnapped that day. The village's preparedness played a crucial role in their defense.

"When the chief of security sent a text message, we already had a group of 70 people that went out (to fight) without even asking any questions," Gepener stated. "Now it's a different story. We have enough rifles, enough handguns, and anything we need to independently defend ourselves if there will be a situation like that."

Now, months later, the village is rebuilding and growing stronger.

"About three months later (after the attack), more than 50 percent of the population returned. And now, September 1st, this is the beginning of the school year. There are about 85% of the people that came back, and they came back stronger."

This resilience isn't just about security. It's about building a thriving community in the face of adversity.

Gepner proudly told us, "We are opening a new sports center here in the moshav. We are opening a new community center. We just going to be stronger because there is no other option than we go and leave this piece of land, this beautiful piece of land, without having our people here back."

For Dr. Gepner and his neighbors, the events of October 7th have only strengthened their resolve.

"We are trying to rely on facts other than opinion," he related. "Israel was established after the Holocaust with zero chance. We survived the '67 war, the '73 war against all chances. Now, when we have a strong – maybe the strongest army – relative to the size of the population, we're going to win this war. This is not even a question. Keep that in mind. Israel will just be stronger following October 7th."

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