IDF Probe: Paga (Magen Be'eri) Outpost Unprepared for Oct. 7 Assault, Enabling Massacre at Be'eri

The IDF's internal investigation concluded that the combat team stationed at the Paga Outpost (officially Magen Be'eri) was not adequately prepared for the surprise multi‑axis assault that began on October 7, 2023. This lack of readiness contributed to the outpost falling into enemy hands and the subsequent massacre and infiltration into nearby Kibbutz Be'eri.

Key Findings

• Systemic Readiness Gaps: Combat positions, fighting infrastructure and some essential equipment did not meet operational needs for the scale of the assault.
• Training Shortfalls: Troops had not drilled scenarios for a simultaneous, surprise cross‑border raid on both the outpost and the civilian population center it was meant to protect.
• Multi‑Axis Assault: The battle was part of a broader attack in which hundreds of attackers used multiple infiltration routes, surprising defenders across the sector.
• Degraded Force Multipliers: Terrorists specifically targeted intelligence collection assets, reconnaissance elements and the tank platoon, reducing defensive firepower and situational awareness.
• Air–Ground Coordination Failures: Most Israel Air Force strikes during the engagement were judged ineffective because of coordination gaps with ground units.
• Command Disruption: The wounding or death of commanders during the fighting hampered decision‑making and battle management.

Casualties, Captures and Aftermath

The probe reports that 22 IDF soldiers and officers assigned to Paga were killed and 18 were wounded. Two soldiers were taken hostage and transported into the Gaza Strip. The report names those killed defending the outpost, including Capt. Dekel Suissa, St.-Sgt. Tomer Barak, Sgt. Ido Bienenstock and others.

Photos of the destruction in Kibbutz Be'eri taken in the beginning of November 2023; illustrative. (credit: MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN)

In December 2024, the IDF and Shin Bet conducted a joint operation that killed Fahmi Salami, identified as the commander of the Hamas Nukhba (elite) brigade unit responsible for the assault on Paga. Media reporting in 2025 estimated that roughly 150 attackers participated in the Paga assault, with dozens killed by IDF forces on October 7.

Selected Timeline (Oct. 7, 2023)

Below are selected events from the IDF's minute‑by‑minute timeline published as part of the probe.

• 05:30 — Dawn‑alert exercise by Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion; company briefing and mortar platoon preparations.
• 06:29 — Sirens; the infiltration and massacre begin. Soldiers moved to protected areas; the fortified dining hall was designated as the assembly point.
• 06:41–06:56 — Tanks and APCs engaged infiltrators. One tank was struck by a drone‑delivered RPG warhead and later disabled; anti‑tank missiles hit additional armor. Terrorists breached the outpost around 06:55.
• 07:00–09:30 — Intense close‑quarters fighting around the mortar compound, dining hall and perimeter. Reinforcements and APCs attempted evacuations; an explosive charge disabled an APC's rear door during an evacuation attempt.
• 11:30–12:15 — An IAF UAV strike near the dining hall killed several attackers and temporarily disrupted assaults on the assembly point.
• 13:00–13:19 — Terrorists set the dining hall on fire; smoke and inhalation caused further casualties. Several soldiers left to counterattack and fell in close combat.
• 16:20 — A rescue force including IDF counterterrorism units cleared the outpost, linked with survivors, and evacuated the wounded and fallen. A later recovery attempt saw another soldier killed by anti‑tank fire.

Conclusions

The probe highlights both individual acts of bravery by junior officers and enlisted soldiers and broader operational and systemic failures: inadequate training scenarios for a surprise multi‑axis raid, equipment and infrastructure shortfalls, degraded intelligence and reconnaissance, and weak air–ground coordination. The IDF published the timeline, casualty figures and additional context as part of the investigation materials.

Note: This article preserves the IDF's reported findings and timeline while correcting language, clarifying chronology and improving readability for an English‑language audience.