One of the worst tragedies of Oct. 7 was the long wait for the IDF to come to the rescue and the slaughter that took place while kibbutzim waited for help.

Israelis are determined to never let that happen again. Magen48, a group that took its name from the 48 first responders killed on Oct. 7, is working with the IDF to train Israeli civilians who live in the kibbutzim near the southern border with Gaza to neutralize terrorists while keeping the residents safe until the IDF can arrive in case of another Oct. 7-style infiltration.

Fox News Digital, which attended the eighth training session with the group, reported reported that civilians were warned of the exercise in advance, and all weapons were emptied to prevent accidental discharge. Included among the participants were IDF soldiers and medics.

One scenario simulated an infiltration into a kindergarten. Participants were trained to neutralize the terrorists while safely evacuating the children, with added challenges such as limited visibility. Participants learned how to manage their firearms behind cover in every conceivable position: sitting, lying down, standing and moving. They were trained to work in different-sized groups and to communicate effectively.

The outlet reported that the scenarios that were presented grew increasingly complex. For example, they were trained to fight under continuous alerts.

“The civil defense squad was made up of soldiers who had served in special forces alongside others who had never held combat roles in the military,” an instructor from Magen48 told Fox News, describing the initial challenges the group faced. “Some were issued weapons they had never used during their service. Training begins with weapons familiarization, covering the basics of firearm operation and how to manipulate the weapon’s safety mechanisms.”

He said that they learned from the failures of Oct. 7 that responding alone turned out to be dangerously ineffective. “Whoever ran alone was not able to fend off terrorists,” the instructor said. “The idea behind this project is to establish a unified operational language, so that if an incident occurs, nearby communities can join the response and coordinate effectively.”

“The idea is that they are able to manage the event until forces arrive, then hand over control in an orderly manner while continuing to work together,” he added. “They know the kibbutz, they work well as teams and they have undergone high-quality training that sharpened their skills.”