A group of volunteers formed after Oct 7 train defense teams to deal with possible security threats
Description: (4 Oct 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yesha, Israel – 4 October 2026
1. Man with a fake weapon during a training simulation where people from the Yesha community are fighting militants on the street
2. Various of training
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sam Mednick, The Associated Press:
“I'm in Yesha, a community on the border with Gaza, where Israeli volunteers are training local defense forces on how to protect themselves so they don't experience another October 7th. You can see behind me here, this is a simulation of essentially what was a street fight going on. It's why they were wearing these yellow security vests, and they are trying to help an injured person. And they're waiting for an ambulance right now. This week is coming up on the third anniversary of October 7th where Hamas and others stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Israel's security services were caught off guard. Many of these communities were fending for themselves for hours. This community of Yesha, its local defense force, it was very small. They were all killed trying to protect the people inside. Now, this volunteer group, called Magen 48, has trained thousands of people across Southern Israel. Including in kibbutzes and towns on emergency response, command and control, as well as teamwork, which they say is key in order to fend off an attack.”
4. Men wearing military costume during training
5. Various of training simulating injured men being treated and moved to ambulance
STORYLINE:
Following the Hamas attack on southern Israel three years ago, a group of Israeli volunteers have been training local defense teams in hopes that a similar attack will never happen again.
The group called Magen48 is run by Israelis with funding from organizations in the United States, including Jewish Americans. Since inception after Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas and others stormed southern Israel killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, the group’s trained thousands of people in dozens of communities and kibbutzim across the country. It focuses on emergency medical training and working as a unit to fend off attackers.
The violence three years ago caught the country off guard and some communities along the border with Gaza had to defend themselves, some of them for hours before the army arrived.
“I was there on the seventh of October and there was nothing to fight with. We ran out and grabbed some stones, I ran into my garage to bring some knives to give my kids and tell them ok this is what we have,” said Kobi Trabelsi who lives in a community along the Gaza border.
On Sunday, AP reporters witnessed a training simulation where people from the Yesha community fought militants on the street and treated the wounded.
On Oct. 7 the community of Yesha had few guns and a handful of locals who were killed trying to protect its people, said locals.
The group’s founders said that at the time most communities didn’t have the skills or the tools to defend themselves, and after the attack many were afraid to return home.
“The main reason was the communities were not coming home because the communities had no confidence that they would be protected again." said Ari Briggs, a cofounder of the group.
"That confidence was returned when they saw their first responders, their rapid response team, who are civilians, actually training and actually learning and actually feel confident in themselves.”
AP video shot by Ami Ben Tov, Sam Mednick
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RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yesha, Israel – 4 October 2026
1. Man with a fake weapon during a training simulation where people from the Yesha community are fighting militants on the street
2. Various of training
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sam Mednick, The Associated Press:
“I'm in Yesha, a community on the border with Gaza, where Israeli volunteers are training local defense forces on how to protect themselves so they don't experience another October 7th. You can see behind me here, this is a simulation of essentially what was a street fight going on. It's why they were wearing these yellow security vests, and they are trying to help an injured person. And they're waiting for an ambulance right now. This week is coming up on the third anniversary of October 7th where Hamas and others stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Israel's security services were caught off guard. Many of these communities were fending for themselves for hours. This community of Yesha, its local defense force, it was very small. They were all killed trying to protect the people inside. Now, this volunteer group, called Magen 48, has trained thousands of people across Southern Israel. Including in kibbutzes and towns on emergency response, command and control, as well as teamwork, which they say is key in order to fend off an attack.”
4. Men wearing military costume during training
5. Various of training simulating injured men being treated and moved to ambulance
STORYLINE:
Following the Hamas attack on southern Israel three years ago, a group of Israeli volunteers have been training local defense teams in hopes that a similar attack will never happen again.
The group called Magen48 is run by Israelis with funding from organizations in the United States, including Jewish Americans. Since inception after Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas and others stormed southern Israel killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, the group’s trained thousands of people in dozens of communities and kibbutzim across the country. It focuses on emergency medical training and working as a unit to fend off attackers.
The violence three years ago caught the country off guard and some communities along the border with Gaza had to defend themselves, some of them for hours before the army arrived.
“I was there on the seventh of October and there was nothing to fight with. We ran out and grabbed some stones, I ran into my garage to bring some knives to give my kids and tell them ok this is what we have,” said Kobi Trabelsi who lives in a community along the Gaza border.
On Sunday, AP reporters witnessed a training simulation where people from the Yesha community fought militants on the street and treated the wounded.
On Oct. 7 the community of Yesha had few guns and a handful of locals who were killed trying to protect its people, said locals.
The group’s founders said that at the time most communities didn’t have the skills or the tools to defend themselves, and after the attack many were afraid to return home.
“The main reason was the communities were not coming home because the communities had no confidence that they would be protected again." said Ari Briggs, a cofounder of the group.
"That confidence was returned when they saw their first responders, their rapid response team, who are civilians, actually training and actually learning and actually feel confident in themselves.”
AP video shot by Ami Ben Tov, Sam Mednick
===========================================================
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
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You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c12be4295b3e4cdbbdb13793af2dd6f6 Close description