All-female Israeli ‘lionesses’ combat unit of just 13 soldiers ‘killed nearly 100 Hamas gunmen as they helped liberate kibbutz’

An all-female combat unit of just 13 Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers killed nearly 100 Hamas gunmen as they repelled a terror attack on an army base and helped liberate a kibbutz, it has emerged.

Lieutenant Colonel Or Ben Yehuda and her twelve female soldiers from the Caracal Battalion led the frontline battle from armored personnel carriers after racing to a military post on the Egyptian border that came under attack during the Hamas attack.

As rockets rained down all around her, she heard that the terrorists had breached Israel’s border fence with the Gaza Strip on October 7 and were heading for the Jewish settlements of Shlomit and Bnei Netzer.

In a final message from the Sufa military base as it was attacked by dozens of Hamas fighters, a colleague who was killed just minutes later warned Lt. Col. Ben Yehuda: “There are several terrorists here. They are heavily armed.’

In a speech before the battle, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Yehuda then told the unit of twelve women that they were strong and would not be defeated.

She said: ‘We are going to eliminate terrorists. (An) Infiltration into Israel is taking place and spreading. Stay vigilant. Maybe our paths will cross. We are a strong team.’

When the unit arrived at the military base, they discovered that Hamas had overrun the post and taken more than fifty Israeli soldiers hostage.

About seven armed men had taken up positions in the dining room armed with anti-tank missiles.

As the officer and her 12-member team approached the base from all angles, a gang of 50 heavily armed terrorists rushed toward them from the area.

But the unit held firm, shooting some and forcing others to disperse.

In a harrowing moment, Lt. Col. Ben Yehuda was confronted face to face with a male terrorist, whom she shot at point-blank range.

An officer from another unit arrived at the military base and proposed an attack on the building where the terrorists were hiding.

But Lt. Col. Ben Yehuda insisted she would not endanger the lives of the hostages and focused her offensive fire on the terrorists who had taken up positions around the post.

For the next four hours, the 12-woman unit was engaged in a bitter firefight with Hamas, which sent wave after wave of armed men against them.

Although some soldiers were injured, the all-female unit continued to fight.

The Caracal Battalion unit was later reinforced by soldiers from a Navy Special Forces unit and together they continued to attack Hamas for the next 14 hours until the terrorists were dead or had fled.

Ben Yehuda later praised the “important contribution” made by the female soldiers under her command to winning the battle and saving the lives of the wounded, carrying out daring helicopter evacuations under fire.

She also recognized the bravery of an all-female tank crew under her command who led the attack on Hamas fighters who had looted the nearby Holit kibbutz, killing more than a dozen civilians.

In total, Caracal Battalion units are said to have killed about 100 terrorists – a fact that should dispel any doubts about the capabilities of female soldiers, she said.

Lt. Col. Ben Yehuda said: “The training and performance (of the female combat units) on the battlefield has dispelled all doubts (about their capabilities).

“They fought bravely, saved lives and emerged as heroes.”

The all-female tank crew is also credited with leading the attack on Hamas terrorists who overran the Holit kibbutz.

An officer, who cannot be named for security reasons, told the Yetznews website: ‘The female tank crew were stationed close to our team and they were great. They fought like lionesses. They are heroes.

“I could hear them on the radio, including their commander, Or Ben Yehuda, who was operating at the highest level.

‘They broke through the fence and fought the terrorists who were there in their dozens.

‘They deserve to be decorated. They functioned like a well-oiled machine, at the professional level you would expect from a tank crew.’

Lt. Col. Ben Yehuda added: “There are no more doubts about female combat soldiers, who have triumphed in every encounter with terrorists.

“We are currently responsible for eleven cities and are preparing for possible ground maneuvers to ensure the security of the southern border area of ​​Gaza and the Egyptian border.”

The IDF has approximately 50,000 female combat troops out of a total of 200,000 active soldiers. Women must perform military service alongside men and are recalled to serve in the army reserve in times of crisis.

The Caracel Battalion is made up of 70 percent female soldiers and consists of only women. It is located in southern Israel.

In 2014, Lt. Col. Ben Yehuda was wounded in a terrorist attack on the border with Egypt but managed to return fire, killing one militant in the battle.