In the empty dining room of Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was once the vibrant center of a close-knit, 400-person Israeli settlement devastated by the Hamas-led onslaught on October 7, 2023, roosting birds now coo among the ceiling tiles.We used to visit and dine together. Dalit Ram Aharon, who is taking me around with her husband, Achi, recalls, “There were lots of activities here, also holidays to celebrate.”
A startling reminder of what happened to the missing residents may be found by the glass entrance doors, which are peppered with gunshot holes. Following the attacks three years ago, stickers were placed on each household’s postbox: red ones show those who were slain, and black ones show those who were taken hostage. “”Kidnapped or murdered, that’s one out of four of us,” adds Dalit. “including infants and young children.”
Residents of the kibbutz, which is located just a mile (1.6 km) from the Gaza border and was among the worst-hit areas, are going through another difficult period of reflection as Israel commemorates the third anniversary of its bloodiest day ever. At the Siman Tov family’s nearby burned-out home, where a wind chime hangs at the entrance, time seems to stop still. Tamar and Yonatan are pictured with their three kids: their two-year-old son, Omer, and their five-year-old twin girls, Shahar and Arbel. The parents were shot through the door of their bomb shelter, which was not intended to withstand gunfire but rather rockets fired from Gaza.
Also Read:
“Not Again Protests in Okinawa, Japan, are Sparked by the Arrest of a US Marine for Murder
