The Israeli army brought back the name of the military site “Baga” — officially known as “Maghin Be’eri” (Hami Be’eri) — to the forefront, after publishing the results of its investigation into the battle that took place inside and around it during the attack on October 7, 2023, after months of unjustified delay. The investigation, reported by military correspondent Emmanuel Fabian in the Times of Israel, concluded that the site failed to protect the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip border, and that its fall paved the way for the attackers to advance towards the neighboring town of Be’eri.
According to the details, the site included a force from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade, while a tank platoon from the 7th Armored Brigade was stationed in a nearby location. The battles resulted in the killing of 18 soldiers and the injury of 22 others, out of about 40 to 50 soldiers who were stationed at the two sites, facing an attacking force estimated at between 60 and 80 fighters. The investigation acknowledged that the force was not adequately equipped or trained to deal with a large and simultaneous attack, given that the soldiers were busy with routine tasks of monitoring movements at the border fence at the expense of tactical preparedness.
The battle broke out at dawn at 06:29, coinciding with the launching of missiles and the breach of the border. The tanks of the adjacent site moved to engage, and one of them was hit by a projectile from a drone between 06:41 and 06:45, and despite it being disabled, its crew continued fighting for an hour. At 06:49, a soldier at the entrance to the camp spotted the attackers approaching and ran to warn, but his lack of a communication device prevented the warning from reaching all the elements in time, so nine attackers successively stormed the site, then a second group attacked the mortar position.
The clashes expanded amid field reports of a shortage of equipment and ammunition, despite the bravery of some soldiers despite their injuries. At approximately 07:43, an Israeli drone carried out a strike north of the site, but its impact was limited as a result of poor communication with forces on the ground and coordination gaps that limited the effectiveness of air support. As the number of wounded increased, evacuation attempts failed after one armored vehicle succeeded in extracting two wounded people, while another attempt failed following the detonation of an explosive device placed on the back door of one of the armored vehicles, forcing the soldiers to bring the wounded back inside and continue treating them in the field.
The field crisis worsened with the killing of a number of field commanders, including the site commander, and the company commander’s inability to reach them due to the closure of roads. By late morning, a number of soldiers barricaded themselves inside the mess hall, and at 1:00 p.m. the attackers started fires and pumped smoke through the air conditioning vents, causing some soldiers to suffocate. As a result, five of them went out for direct clashes and were all killed.
The rescue and support forces did not arrive at the “Baga” site until between 16:20 and 16:50 to secure the remaining members and evacuate the wounded. In its conclusion, the investigation distinguished between the individual courage and fighting spirit demonstrated by the soldiers, and the structural failures of the military system that left the site unable to perform its mission due to the absence of adequate fortifications, weak training, and faltering communications and support.
