Jerusalem, 25 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Tuesday met with the Gaza Division female surveillance soldiers, who briefed him on their operational activities and the challenges they face.
“You are our eyes on the front line, the first to detect infiltration threats and direct forces to contain and neutralize them,” Zamir told them. “One of the lessons of October 7 is that we must listen carefully to every soldier as part of the command’s situational assessment and decision-making process.”
Female surveillance soldiers at Nahal Oz and other posts repeatedly warned before October 7, 2023, that Hamas was preparing attacks along the Gaza border. They observed training exercises simulating breaches and invasions and relayed their concerns to commanders and intelligence officials. Senior officers dismissed their warnings, saying they lacked the broader picture. On October 7, Hamas attacked Nahal Oz, killing or abducting most of the surveillance soldiers stationed there.