Security
Shaldeg Unit's October 7 Battles Exposed: 'You See Horrors. I Refrained from Looking and Averted My Eyes'
It was and remains one of the considered and classified units the IDF has to offer and on October 7 its capabilities were tested to the limit. With the first alert, Shaldeg unit soldiers rushed to mount equipment and dispersed among the difficult arenas in the Gaza border region. From the attempt to recapture the divisional headquarters, through the unexpected battle in kibbutz Alumim to the fighting in kibbutz Beeri that drew criticism, this is how its activity looked like...
· Source: N12. Photo as published in the article
A two-part documentary by Ben Caspit on Channel 12 exposes for the first time since its establishment about half a century ago the activity of the Shaldeg unit on the morning of October 7, with commanders and soldiers recounting the difficult battles in the Gaza border region.
In the first part of the documentary, which aired yesterday (Wednesday) on Channel 12, the unit commander Sal B. (now Brigadier General) said that on the morning of Simchat Torah he was at his wife's parents' house and left from there to the field. According to the report, Shaldeg's advantage stems from its attachment to the Air Force, so at all times a helicopter is on standby at the base, and the first teams that departed did not know at first where they were flying to.
Hamas sent to Camp Raim, the Gaza Division base, dozens of Nuchba terrorists who seized the divisional headquarters. Sal Monzer Suidan, a Shabbat observer at the base, tried to stop them with the help of just three soldiers until the Shaldeg force arrived. Led by Sergeant Ido Yehoshua, may he rest in peace, the force entered the camp and encountered an ambush and crossfire near the sports hall, in which Captain Rom Shlomi, may he rest in peace, and Sergeant Yehoshua, may he rest in peace, were killed, the first casualties in the unit in operational activity. About 12 hours after it was captured, the divisional headquarters was liberated with the help of a military intelligence company and paratroopers.
On the way to kibbutz Beeri the force heard fire at the entrance to kibbutz Alumim and the mission changed. The brother of Lt. L., a team commander in the unit, was at that hour at the Nova party, and in his last message to him wrote that they were shooting at him. Rangi Ido (Kurido) Rosenthal, may he rest in peace, the longest-serving soldier in the unit, was killed in battle in the Alumim area. With the help of a drone, attack helicopter and a paratroop force that was nearby, the unit soldiers completed the extraction of his body.
An IDF inquiry determined that at kibbutz Beeri over 100 civilians were murdered and more than 30 soldiers, police and standby force personnel, and 32 civilians were abducted to Gaza, and that the army failed. According to the inquiry, Shaldeg's standby team, which was the first force to arrive at the location, received a note for having left the combat core and not prioritizing missions. According to the report, after Sergeant Ahed (Bodi) Cohen was killed and two others were seriously wounded, the team withdrew with the approval of the commanders to the seizing area and continued fighting and killing additional terrorists who tried to enter the kibbutz.
