On Saturday morning, Simchat Torah, October 7, 2023, Captain Roey Chapell and his command post team (radio operator and driver) were conducting a “Dawn Readiness Patrol” along the routes in their sector, together with the command posts of Kerem Shalom and the Deputy Battalion Commander (Major Ido Shani).

At 06:29 AM, a massive combined attack of rockets on Israel began, along with mortar fire on the surrounding border communities.

 

The deputy battalion commander ordered the teams to return to their positions, and Chapell raced in his patrol vehicle toward the Sufa outpost. While driving under heavy fire, Chapell identified, through the observation tower, the exact points of terrorist infiltration, reporting over the radio about dozens of terrorists breaching the border. He updated the team commander at the outpost about the attack and ordered the soldiers stationed there to arm themselves and take up defensive positions.

 

As they drove along the route between the communities, the driver evaded missile fire. Chapell issued commands to the soldiers inside the Sufa outpost, to the mortar crews, the tank attached to his sector, the lookouts, and the operations room. The deputy battalion commander reported over the radio: “War has broken out.” Chapell engaged in firefightswhile maintaining constant radio communication with the outposts and nearby residents. The driver followed his orders, taking side dirt roads to avoid missiles, all while under crossfire.

 

Chapell directed armored vehicles toward Kibbutz Holit, though they ultimately could not reach the community. At the same time, he scanned the area for additional infiltration points and reported them to military and civilian authorities.

 

Chapell’s voice was clearly heard over the radio:

 

“Our mission is to defend the communities’ area. The defensive line has been breached — the obstacle zone is now the defensive line.”

“The communities are our defense objective; we’re successfully deployed, good luck to us all!”

 

Chapell continued to fight under fire and while moving. He reached the front gate of the Sufa outpost, where he saw a team of soldiers trapped inside an armored personnel carrier (Achzarit) that had been hit by a missile. Chapell fired a shoulder-launched missile, hitting a pickup truck packed with terrorists and mortars approaching the soldiers. He also used a grenade launcher.

 

At this point, Chapell decided to maneuver around to the Dangoor Memorial, understanding it to be a strategically critical tactical location, positioned between Kibbutz Sufa and the outpost. As they entered the rear path, his vehicle was struck by an RPG. The radio operator suffered fatal blast injuries. Chapell and the driver, Izayagov, exited the vehicle and continued fighting against terrorists advancing toward them.

 

Chapell was hit by a sniper’s bullet in the back, told his driver, “I’ve been hit,” and collapsed. Izayagov was wounded in the leg by a burst of gunfire and was left alone under fire, calling for reinforcements. Rescue forces later evacuated Chapell to the fortified shelter at the Dangoor Memorial, where a reconnaissance unit (Palsar) under Captain Eyal Klein was entrenched. After about seven hours, a paratrooper “Orev” unit arrived to extract the soldiers.

 

Throughout this time, intense combat continued inside the Sufa outpost. The mortar crew fought from the rear gate but, after sustaining heavy casualties, retreated inside. The Orev unit barricaded themselves in the dining hall, designated as a safe room, and fought for hours. Around noon, a Navy commando force (Shayetet) arrived to rescue them. The Nahal soldiers displayed remarkable courage and brotherhood.

 

Major Roey Chapell, 25 years old at the time of his death,

Company Commander of the Sufa, Nir Yitzhak, and Holit sector,

sought engagement, charged forward, and fought bravely alongside his command team against dozens of terrorists.

His orders and actions saved the lives of many soldiers and civilians.

 

Alongside Roey, in the battles of Sufa and the Dangoor Memorial, the following soldiers were killed:

Captain Eyal Klein, Staff Sergeant Daniel Bazgudov, Staff Sergeant Amit Most, Staff Sergeant Tomer Mizrahi, Staff Sergeant Ofir Melman, Staff Sergeant Hillel Saadon, Staff Sergeant Gali Shkootai, Sergeant Nachman Dekel, Sergeant Amir Lavi, Sergeant Tal Levi, Sergeant Segev Schwartz.

 

May their memory be blessed.