Roni Abuharon, a detective in the southern Israeli city of Ofakim, grabbed his pistol and floppy police hat. “Don’t leave me alone,” his wife pleaded as sirens signaled incoming rockets from the Gaza Strip, less than 20 miles away. With the Israeli military slow to respond to the unfolding horror, it fell to local police officers — many of them with nothing more than pistols — to defend the city and prevent Hamas from pushing deeper into Israel. Building on reports in the Israeli media, the Times reporting reveals the heroism and harrowing choices of local officers and residents during a terrifying wait for a rescue. In Ofakim, residents called it “Black Shabbat.”The AmbushTwo white pickup trucks rolled into town around 6 a.m., before any siren had sounded.

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Persons: Roni Abuharon, Don’t, ”, Itamar Alus, Alus, Cochy Abuharon, Ofakim, slinging Organizations: New York Times Locations: Ofakim, Gaza, Israel