Battle of Ofakim

Battle of Ofakim
קרב אופקים
معركة سديروت
Part of the Israel–Hamas war

Eli Cohen, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, visits Rachel Edry's residence
Date7–9 October 2023
Location
Result Israeli victory
Belligerents
 Hamas  Israel
Units involved
Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades[citation needed]  Israel Defense Forces
Israel Police
Israel Israeli armed "volunteer security teams"
Casualties and losses
22 fighters killed 6 police officers killed
Israel 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.[1]

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.

  1. ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.