Almost two weeks into the IDF ground operation in the Gaza Strip, we joined the forces in the heart of the enclave in Al-Atatra, overlooking Beit Lahiya.
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We entered through the Zikim area, where terrorists had infiltrated Israel on that dark morning on Oct. 7. The aftermath of the massacre is still visible on the side of the road, such as a motorcycle, probably one that was used by terrorists, lying abandoned near a hole in the security fence.
We arrive at the Strip on Wednesday at noon in an open, unprotected Hummer that looks like it's been through a lot. The fact that the Hummer is open worries me a little, but the fighters assure me that we are in a relatively safe space and that the forces have been working in the area for several days, so there is no obstacle to entering.
"Deeper in, there is heavy fighting," Lt. Col. Eran, who is responsible for our security, said. "The fighters are doing an excellent job, protecting you."
Just before crossing into the Gaza Strip, the fighters cock their weapons and tense up. The forces are those of the Bahad 1 officer training school, which is responsible for the supply and logistics for the 162nd Division that began to enter the Strip around two weeks ago and took control of a stretch of coastline.
Video: Israel exposes Hamas network beneath and next to Gaza's hospitals / Credit: Reuters
The mission of Bahad 1's Gefen Battalion is to secure the logistics axis of the 162nd Division, advance after the troops, and take care of supplies.
The dirt road that we take was paved by the IDF and includes several lanes, including an actual highway to allow the troops to enter and exit quickly. Along it travel tanks, APCs, and other IDF vehicles, making their way quickly in and out.
Israeli flags wave proudly along the shores of Gaza, and every few meters we meet troops or firing positions set up by the IDF in the last two weeks.
After a few kilometers of driving through the sand, we arrive at a flat, completely sandy area, which before the work of the air and ground forces was the agricultural village of Al-Atatra. Many of the greenhouses were destroyed in the IDF's fight with terrorists, but several houses remained intact.
We meet Sgt. Liran from Beersheba, a physics and biology student at Ben-Gurion University on the Negev, who continues to study even during wartime.
"I don't want to fall behind," he said. "If there is something that needs to be done, I will do it," he says briefly before returning to his books.
We also meet Lt. Col. Ariel, commander of the Gefen Battalion, who is in charge of the force that was left to secure the area after the 162nd Division continued advancing. He lives at the Ramon Airbase and on the morning of Oct. 7 woke up to the sound of rocket siren alerts.
"I went to Bahad 1 to organize the equipment and give us a jump start," he says.
Ariel and other commanders took off for the Gaza Strip, passing by through several epicenters of fighting, including Magen, Nir Oz, and Be'eri, where they eliminated terrorists and rescued the wounded.
"The sights we saw there reminded us of sights we saw decades ago. Such serious things were done there, and the world needs to understand that there is no forgiveness for that."
After Oct. 7, Bahad 1 began to train for a ground offensive.
"The entry was as an entry should be – aggressive, precise, good. The troops had a lot of confidence going in. Everything worked well."
Every once in a while during our conversation with Ariel, we hear the sound of shelling.
"That's ours," the fighters assure us.
Although the 162nd Division has already been through the area, the Gefen Battalion continues to conduct raids and remain alert in case more enemies emerge.
The forces here are relatively stationed, happy, and eating battle rations. Some of them ask us to film them, to send videos to their parents, who haven't slept in two weeks knowing that their children were in the battle zone.
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At a certain point, the commanders in the field decide to evacuate us due to fear of rocket fire. Within a few seconds, we are already in the Hummers, on the not-so-long drive along the shore of Gaza, and back in Israeli territory. Indeed, shortly after we left the place we heard a large explosion and black smoke billowed not far from where we were.
"I really hope we don't stop until we win. We need a lot of patience," the battalion commander said. "One can't live alongside the threat of Hamas. We see houses here where there is a family with children on the top floor and missiles on the bottom floor.
"Their cruelty surprised me. Even if we meet a family of terrorists here, we will not do to them what they did. They are inhumane. It is impossible to grasp the magnitude of this cruelty on Oct. 7. This is a war between good and evil. Between light and darkness. We must not stop until Hamas is defeated. We have to keep going, however long it takes," Ariel said.
