Traveling from Tel Aviv to Ofakim—about 100 kilometers south—and then another 15 kilometers by taxi along Route 241 and the infamous Route 232, we reached the Home Front Command base near Kibbutz Urim, where we met War Room Commander Capt. Gaya Shimsilshvili.

Eight IDF soldiers were murdered at the base on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Among the fallen were Sgt. Danit Cohen, Cpl. Lior Levy, and Sgt. Shir Shlomo, who served under Capt. Gaya Shimsilshvili as operations sergeants in the Home Front Command’s Southern District.

The Home Front Command, a key branch of the Israeli military, is tasked with alerting the public to security threats, guiding civilians on protective measures and coordinating emergency responses.

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