Nahal Oz is a kibbutz situated in southern Israel, in the northwestern part of the Negev desert near the Gaza border.

His funeral witnessed a powerful eulogy by Moshe Dayan, then Chief of Staff, which emphasized the challenges faced by Israel and the constant threat from its neighbors.

[19] At the Nahal Oz base Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades were joined by Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Saraya Al-Quds,[3][a] a more extreme group, who allegedly have closer ties to Iran.

[22] The militants engaged in a brief battle with the guards at the gate, killed them and went inside, and soon destroyed a large part of the post and equipment within it.

In the war room, staff officers and observers entrenched themselves and tried to communicate with the forces and direct combat helicopters to the militant squads.

[2][23] At the time of the attack, 27 soldiers of Unit 414 of the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps were on duty at this base and were killed or captured by Hamas.

[10] Their duty was to conduct reconnaissance on the border with Gaza as well as to operate the remote-controlled gun turrets stationed on the Iron Wall.

According to the Israel Defense Forces twenty Unit 414 soldiers were killed in action at the Nahal Oz base and six were reported missing.

[1] Of the 22 troops taking shelter in the building housing the surveillance soldiers' command center, only seven managed to exit through a small bathroom window and survive the fumes.

[29] In addition, a unit of Israel Border Police officers who had been posted to the area a week before arrived in the kibbutz and took part in the fighting.

[30] At around 11:30am, approximately 100 Israeli soldiers from the Givati Brigade, originally destined for Sderot, diverted to Nahal Oz and arrived at the kibbutz.

[30][8] Among the victims were Israel Hayom photographer Yaniv Zohar and most of his family,[15][13] Additionally Eden Nimri, an Israeli international-level swimmer, died in the attack.