Most of the members of the civilian emergency squad at Moshav Netiv HaAsara are veterans of elite units. They were prepared for a terrorist incursion and had practiced their defense. But even they were surprised at the size and strength of the attack by Hamas on the morning of Saturday, October 7th, when more than 10 terrorists penetrated into the moshav at around 7:00. Six of the terrorists landed in the middle of the moshav using paragliders.
The emergency squad is led by the civilian security coordinator of Netiv HaAsara, Ziv Volk. Shortly after the first alert sounded, he realized that something about it was unusual. He heard from the security services by telephone that “airborne craft” were approaching the community, and he hurried to urge all the members of the emergency squad to prepare to defend their homes and families. Under rocket fire — and with terrorists circulating among the houses of the moshav, torching cars, and smashing doors — Ziv deployed the emergency squad and responded to frightened neighbors who were phoning continually and telling, in a whisper, where the terrorists were. The emergency squad was joined by a Special Police Unit fighter who resided on the moshav, by Border Police fighter Shlomi Magoz, and by other armed moshav residents. They divided into two teams and combed the area, proceeding from door to door in order to repel the attack and ensure the residents’ safety.
IDF forces joined them only after 5:00 p.m., when the civilian emergency squad had already fought for more than 10 hours against terrorists who were well-equipped with ammunition and were organized to overcome and capture the moshav. The members of the emergency squad thus prevented the loss of many lives.
In the fighting at Netiv HaAsara, 20 moshav residents were killed. Five were members of the emergency squad: Amit Vaks, Gil Tasa, Dani Woveck, Oren Stern, and Adi Baharav.
