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🇮🇱 Israel /Disasters & Emergencies

Kibbutz Nir Oz, Devastated on October 7, Trains Emergency Standby Squads to Secure Community

From Jerusalem Post · (6m ago) English Mixed tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Kibbutz Nir Oz, heavily impacted by the October 7 attacks, is training emergency standby squads to enhance community security.
  • The training program, run by Magen 48, aims to prepare civilian volunteers to confront terrorist threats.
  • The initiative seeks to rebuild residents' sense of safety and security, encouraging their return to the devastated community.

In the aftermath of the horrific October 7 attacks, the resilience of Israeli communities is being forged anew through proactive security measures. Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community that suffered immense tragedy, is now at the forefront of a vital initiative to rebuild not just its infrastructure, but its very sense of security. The re-establishment and training of emergency standby squads, known as 'Kitat Konenut,' represent a critical step in empowering residents to protect themselves.

Magen was established to stop the next October 7.

— Ehud DribbenExplaining the founding mission of the Magen 48 security training organization.

The Magen 48 organization is playing a pivotal role in this recovery, providing essential training to volunteer security teams across Israel, with a particular focus on communities near the Gaza border. Co-founder Ehud Dribben articulates a mission born from direct experience: "Magen was established to stop the next October 7." This sentiment reflects a widespread understanding within Israel that self-reliance and preparedness are paramount, especially given the critical delays in IDF response experienced by many communities on that fateful day.

On October 7, I saw the communities that had volunteer security teams that were prepared survived. Those that didn’t were wiped out. My life mission is to train every city, every village, every town in Israel that when the next October 7 will come, they will be ready.

— Ehud DribbenHighlighting the importance of preparedness based on lessons from the October 7 attacks.

Ari Briggs, another co-founder, underscores this point, stating, "we learned on October 7 we can’t wait for help, we need to help ourselves." Magen 48's efforts to build a national training center and equip local security teams are a direct response to the lessons learned. The training program, which includes rigorous sessions for communities like Nir Oz, is designed not only to enhance defensive capabilities but also to restore trust and encourage the return of residents to their homes.

we learned on October 7 we can’t wait for help, we need to help ourselves.

— Ari BriggsEmphasizing the need for self-reliance in community security.

For communities like Nir Oz, where 69 residents were killed and 76 taken hostage, the physical and psychological scars run deep. The sight of these training exercises, even within the community's own grounds, is a stark reminder of the threats faced, but also a powerful symbol of determination. This local initiative, driven by the urgent need for security and the desire to reclaim their lives, embodies the spirit of Israeli resilience and the unwavering commitment to ensuring that such devastation never happens again.

We have trained 67 communities, 1,500 local security [personnel].

— Ari BriggsQuantifying the reach of Magen 48's training programs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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