After the Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, the Egyptian army invaded the new state, advancing as far as "Ad Halom" bridge (Ashdod). On June 7 1948, Kibbutz Nitzanim was attacked the Egyptian army, deploying tanks and aircraft. When the defenders lost all hope of repelling the enemy, it was decided to surrender. The local commander, Avraham Katzenstein, came out with his hands up, carrying a white handkerchief, and was shot dead by an Egyptian officer. The local signaler, Mira Ben-Ari, came out too, killed the Egyptian with her pistol and was killed herself, dying with her commander.
A rare Egyptian footage filmed during the fall of Nitzanim, depicting the ruined settlement, Egyptian officers and soldiers saluting the Egyptian flag accompanied by an orchestra. The injured are transferred to medical care.