Pri Gan

Pri Gan is a moshav in the Eshkol Regional Council in Israel’s southern Gaza-border region.[1] The community lies opposite the line between Khan Yunis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.[1] The neighboring community of Shlomit is about ten minutes away by road.[3]

Pri Gan was founded in 1981 and is listed as affiliated with the OZ settlement movement.[2] The moshav’s recent history was profoundly marked by the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the evacuation of its residents to Eilat the following morning.[3][1]

A population table using the alternate transliteration “Peri Gan” recorded 125 inhabitants as of December 31, 2004.[2] A later report estimated that Pri Gan had approximately 330 residents.[4] Because the figures were recorded in different periods, they do not represent a direct population discrepancy.

Agriculture forms part of Pri Gan’s local economy. Farmer Yossi Naim said his farm cultivated approximately 500 dunams annually before the October 7 attack but barely 100 afterward, following the loss of most of its workforce and restrictions on access to fields.[5]

Residents described Pri Gan before the attack as a community with open spaces, walking routes, and room for children and animals. Yarden Melker Shostak called it “a paradise” and said her family had chosen the moshav partly because its environment and school support were well suited to their autistic son.[6]

At approximately 7:20 a.m. on October 7, 2023, ten Hamas terrorists entered Pri Gan from the Gaza Strip on five motorcycles and moved into yards along its main street.[1] The attackers breached homes, threw grenades, and entered houses where families were sheltering in safe rooms.[3] One family living beside the moshav gate reported entering its safe room at approximately 6:30 a.m.; the father said he saw the attackers blow up the gate and enter the community.[6]

Pri Gan’s local alert squad had four members, but only two were present that morning.[3] The IDF investigation found that the squad’s readiness was far below operational standards because both the moshav and the army had failed to ensure adequate preparation. The two members primarily relayed updates and guided arriving forces.[3] In its response to the findings, Pri Gan said its defenders fought with limited means and lacked real-time information from the military.[3]

The first response team arrived at approximately 7:35 a.m. and included regional security officer Lotem Nagar, police officer Avi Zidon, and a special-operations officer.[3] At approximately 7:45 a.m., the special-operations officer was wounded and evacuated by Nagar. Zidon remained at the scene and was killed while providing cover at approximately 8:00 a.m.[3]

Within minutes of the first response team’s call for assistance, three members of Shlomit’s alert squad set out for Pri Gan.[3] Additional Shlomit responders arrived in waves and became the principal fighting force on the ground, engaging the terrorists and rescuing wounded people.[3][1] The attackers withdrew shortly after 9:15 a.m.; a later reconstruction reported that clearance of the moshav was completed by approximately 10:45 a.m. and that Shlomit responders remained until about noon.[1][7]

Four security personnel were killed: police Superintendent Avi Zidon and Shlomit responders Aviad Cohen, Reouven Chicheportiche, and Bechor Swid.[3][1] Swid was killed while traveling from another community to assist. A special-operations officer and additional responders were wounded during the fighting.[3]

A Caracal Battalion force reached Pri Gan’s entrance at approximately 9:15 a.m. but did not immediately enter. A Nahal Brigade reconnaissance unit arrived at approximately 9:41 a.m. and also waited for an explicit order before entering.[1] By then, the terrorists had withdrawn toward the Gaza Strip. The IDF said it could not determine whether any attackers were killed, but a bloodstained vest indicated that at least one had been wounded.[3][1]

The IDF investigation was conducted by Brigadier General Itamar Ben-Haim and approved by former Southern Command chief Major General Yaron Finkelman.[3][1] Its published findings stated that the IDF failed in its mission to defend Pri Gan. The investigation identified several contributing factors, including the local alert squad’s inadequate readiness, disruption of the chain of command, difficulty establishing an operational picture, poor coordination between responding units, and delays in the arrival and deployment of military forces.[3][1]

The investigation concluded that the independent intervention of Shlomit’s alert-squad members and other local security personnel caused the terrorists to retreat and prevented substantially greater loss of life and possible abductions.[3][1] It attributed Pri Gan’s lack of preparation for an infiltration scenario to failures by both the community and the military.[3]

Pri Gan’s residents were evacuated to Eilat on October 8, 2023, the morning after the attack.[3][3] The wider community left in a convoy, although the Shostak family initially remained behind because both of its vehicles had been damaged.[6] The family’s home beside the gate was heavily damaged and described as “riddled with holes.” After living in temporary accommodation and completing repairs, the family returned home.[6]

Post-attack efforts in Pri Gan focused on rehabilitation, rebuilding, and strengthening community ties. The experience also deepened the connection between Pri Gan and Shlomit, whose responders had come to the moshav’s defense and suffered fatal casualties.[3][1]

Accounts differ on the number of motorcycles used in the October 7 attack. Summaries of the IDF investigation reported that ten terrorists arrived on five motorcycles, while a separate account reported eight motorcycles.[8][5]

The official findings identified three Shlomit alert-squad members and police officer Avi Zidon as the four security personnel killed in the Pri Gan battle.[3][1] A Mako family account also included Oriel Bibi among the Shlomit members killed, but a Shlomit community statement quoted by Ynet specified that Bibi was killed in a different incident.[3][6]