NIR OZ — Kibbutz Nir Oz is training a new, young security team with support from the Magen 48 organization in May 2026 to protect the community and prepare for future threats. The initiative follows the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups that penetrated the Gaza border fence and targeted multiple Israeli communities.
On October 7, 2023, Nir Oz had 386 residents. Sixty-nine were killed in the attacks—47 on that day and others while held in Gaza—and 76 were kidnapped to Gaza. The kibbutz’s nine-member civilian emergency standby squad faced an estimated 450 attackers, and four of its members were killed, according to an IDF report published by Kan.
Magen 48, named after the 48 members of community security squads killed on October 7, is leading the effort to rebuild local defense capabilities. Co-founder Ehud Dribben said, "Magen was established to stop the next Oct. 7. On Oct. 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, so that if the next Oct. 7 comes, they will be ready."
Ari Briggs, another co-founder of Magen 48, emphasized community self-reliance: "We learned on Oct. 7 we can’t wait for help, we need to help ourselves." As of May 2026, the organization has trained 67 communities and approximately 1,500 local security personnel. Briggs added, "It’s about saving lives and bringing people home; once you have a feeling of security then people will come back."
The new head of Nir Oz’s security team, identified only as “Y,” moved to the kibbutz to help rebuild and prepare for the future. "We are in the process of recruiting and re-establishing the response team. And honoring those who came before us," Y said. Volunteers are receiving increased ammunition for rifle practice to improve accuracy and competence.
Magen 48 partners with the Israeli army and conducts eight training sessions per year for community security teams. The organization is also building a national training center, including a main facility in central Israel and a satellite site near Gaza, with the goal of training approximately 600 communities across the country.