Early in the morning of October 7, 2023, soldiers of the 52nd Golani Brigade set out on a routine patrol at the fence of Kibbutz Kissufim, when they encountered a heavy barrage of rocket fire. At the same time, they received a report of a breach in the barrier and of four terrorist squads making their way towards Kibbutz Kissufim. While the soldiers in the base were preparing to defend the base and kibbutz, the soldiers on the patrol confronted the terrorist squads in order to delay them and buy valuable time. Within a short time, the patrol found itself in confrontation with the terrorists who opened fire on their Hummer jeep. Staff Sergeant Adi Zur of Jerusalem, who was sitting in the back seat next to the door, disembarked from the Hummer and returned fire. Adi was joined by Sergeant Michael Ben-Hamo of Rehovot who was sitting in the front seat next to the door. Both remained to fight the terrorists, allowing the Hummer to return to the base with the wounded and to report the confrontation. Thanks to their heroic actions and their willingness to march first into the line of fire, the soldiers at the base were able to rapidly prepare to defend the kibbutz and the base. The defense they deployed prior to the terrorists’ arrival was instrumental in thwarting the capture of the base– the only base along the fence that the enemy did not overrun.
Staff Sergeant Adi Zur and Sergeant Michael Ben Hami fell in battle.
