Battle of Ofakim
| Battle of Ofakim קרב אופקים معركة سديروت | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Gaza war | |||||||
Eli Cohen, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, visits Rachel Edry's residence | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Hamas | Israel | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Al-Qassam Brigades |
Israel Defense Forces Israel Police Israeli armed "volunteer security teams" | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 22 fighters killed |
6 policemen killed 27 civilians killed | ||||||
The battle of Ofakim (Hebrew: קרב אופקים; Arabic: معركة سديروت) began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack on southern Israel, which was widely condemned as an act of terrorism. The Israeli town of Ofakim (Hebrew: אֳפָקִים) is a city in the Southern District of Israel, 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) west of Beersheba.
During the battle in the city, 27 residents and 6 policemen (Israel Police) were killed, in addition to other city residents who were murdered in other places in the Gaza Envelope. In total, 47 residents were killed in the attack—some during the battle and others in various locations in the Negev, and some were injured. The militants from Hamas and other groups used assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and grenades. A total of 22 militants were killed by the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police.