The Concrete Barrier in Yad Mordechai
As rockets rained, Naomi Shitrit Azulai, Kobi Pariente, and Ram Hayun, who went jogging, took shelter behind a concrete barrier. Terrorists opened fire but missed. A unit from the IDF Paratroopers Brigade arrived, and in a second attack, Naomi, Kobi, and two soldiers—Itay Marciano and Ilay Gamzu—were murdered
Click on the points on the timeline for a real-time tour. Clicking on the icons will display the event documentation.
Naomi Shitrit Azulai, Kobi Pariente and Ram Hayun belong to the Sderot Front Runners, a local running group whose members regularly go on long-distance runs in the region. The day before the attack, Kobi wrote in the group’s WhatsApp chat, comprised of roughly 50 participants: “Heading out for a long run tomorrow morning, Yad Mordechai–Zikim.” Naomi and Ram replied, confirming they’ll join. On Saturday morning, the three meet at the gas station at the Yad Mordechai junction and take a photo before setting off. Naomi and Kobi leave their phones in the car; Ram brings his with him
The three run roughly four kilometers southwest before spotting the trails of incoming rocket barrages and hearing sirens in the distance. They take cover beneath a tree in a wooded area. A few minutes later, a military vehicle arrives, and the driver urges them to find shelter, explaining he’s en route to the border fence. Naomi, Kobi, and Ram decide to sprint toward a set of concrete barriers about 150 meters away and take cover there
Naomi, Kobi, and Ram record themselves taking cover behind a concrete barrier during a Red Alert siren. They call the police and request to be rescued. A link is sent to them via text to share their location, but due to poor reception, the message fails to go through
About 20 armed terrorists arrive in two pickup trucks near the runners’ hiding place and disembark. Naomi and Ram hide beneath a water pipe, while Kobi spots a terrorist approaching and takes off running. The terrorist shoots him, and Kobi falls. Naomi and Ram are convinced he’s been killed. It later becomes clear that Kobi was not hit and had taken cover in a nearby bush. The terrorists continue driving
Ram and Naomi lie in silence beneath the water pipe, remaining hidden for hours as rocket fragments land near their hiding place. From time to time, terrorist vehicles stop nearby, but the terrorists fail to notice them. Cellular reception is largely unavailable, but Ram calls for help whenever a brief signal appears. He messages a friend in the security forces, who updates him on the unfolding situation across Israel. Still unaware that Kobi hasn’t been hit, Ram texts: “There’s a chance Kobi is "haraduf” — a military term referring to someone killed in action
Two vehicles carrying paratroopers from the 890th Battalion make their way toward the runners’ hiding place. In the morning, the company commander called on anyone available to report to Sderot. Itay Marciano, a soldier in the unit, messaged his friend Maayan Nachmani, and the two headed south. At Beit Kama junction, they link up with two other soldiers—Ran Hof and Guy Yehuda. One of their officers sends them coordinates near Yad Mordechai, and they head in that direction. Meanwhile, in a separate vehicle, commanders Daniel Sigal and Itay Ohayon, along with soldier Ilay Gamzu, are also en route to the scene. All the while, the runners remain in hiding
Itay Ohayon, Ilay, and Daniel arrive at the runners’ hiding spot. Ram and Naomi see the vehicle and approach with their hands raised. Kobi also emerges from the bushes, and the three are overjoyed to discover that they’re all alive. They inform the paratroopers that there is heavy terrorist activity in the area and begin checking for possible evacuation routes. The vehicle carrying Itay Marciano, Maayan, Ran, and Guy also arrives at the scene. Daniel hears suspicious noises and sets out to investigate with Ran, Yehuda, and Itay Ohayon. Itay Marciano, Ilay, and Maayan stay behind to protect the runners
The three paratroopers take up positions to protect the runners. Itay Marciano covers the east, Ilay watches the west, and Maayan secures the nearby agricultural fields. Itay spots terrorists and shouts, “Encounter!” Six terrorists open fire, and a gunfight erupts. Naomi, Ram, and Maayan are hit in the initial exchange. The terrorists hurl grenades while continuing to fire. As the sixth grenade is thrown, Itay yells for Ilay to withdraw. The two sprint, drop to the ground, and return fire
Kobi tries to escape, but the terrorists shoot him dead, then kill both Itay and Ilay. One terrorist approaches Ram, Naomi, and Maayan and murders Naomi. Maayan shoots him dead. Another terrorist advances and opens fire; Maayan kills him. He messages the rest of the paratroopers, urging them to return immediately, and sends a farewell message to his girlfriend. The shooting resumes, and Maayan is shot in the heel. The patrolling soldiers return, eliminate the remaining terrorists, and capture one, who is taken in for interrogation
Additional security forces arrive at the scene and evacuate Ram and Maayan to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Among the items found on the terrorists’ bodies are maps of the nearby Kibbutz Yad Mordechai
Itay, 20, is laid to rest in the military section of the cemetery in the town of Hadid. He is survived by his parents and two sisters
Staff Sergeant Itay Marciano
Photo: IDF Spokesman Ilay, a squad commander at the Paratroopers’ training base, is killed just days before his 21st birthday. He is laid to rest at the cemetery in Ashdod. Ilay is survived by his parents and two brothers
Staff Sergeant Ilay Gamzu
Photo: IDF Spokesman Kobi, 42, is laid to rest at the cemetery in Sderot. His wife and four children survive him
Kobi Pariente
Naomi, 52, is laid to rest at the cemetery in Sderot. She is survived by her husband, three children, and nine siblings
Naomi Shitrit Azulai
המתחם האינטראקטיבי של מפת העוטף ב-7 באוקטובר 2023 נועד לתעד ולהנציח את האירועים שהתרחשו ביישובי עוטף עזה באמצעות תיעודים מזמן אמת, דקה אחר דקה.
הפרויקט בהליכי בנייה ותחקיר, בשלבים הבאים יתווספו נקודות רבות על המפה, לרבות בסיסי צה”ל, הרחבת אזורי המסיבות והדרכים המובילות לעוטף.
לפרטים נוספים וליצירת קשר לחצו כאן
אזהרה: התוכן מכיל תיאורים ותיעודים קשים לצפייה