Two Years After October 7th, Beeri Grapples with Rebuilding and a Loss of Faith
Two years after the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, the Israeli town of Beeri, once a vibrant kibbutz, is struggling with the immense task of rebuilding amidst profound disillusionment and grief. The attack left a deep scar on the community, and residents are now wrestling with questions of peace, security, and how to memorialize the trauma.
Avivit Zohar, who lost her daughter Adi to the attack, voiced a searing frustration with the Israeli army’s response, questioning why more wasn’t done to protect her daughter and others. She also expressed anger that the war continues, with hostages still held, even as international criticism of Israel mounts.
The conflict triggered by the october 7th attack has had a devastating impact on Gaza. As of late 2024, Israel’s campaign has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths, the majority of whom are civilians, and nearly 170,000 wounded. The enclave has been largely destroyed, displacing almost all of its residents. The United Nations, human rights groups, experts, and many Western governments have accused Israel of committing genocide, a charge Israel denies despite facing unprecedented international condemnation.
“Everyone is saying Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,so what Gaza did in Israel on the 7th of October,it’s not genocide?” Zohar asked,reflecting a sentiment of feeling besieged and misunderstood. She stated her belief that peace with Palestinians in Gaza is unattainable. “If they’re not sending missiles, it’s drones, or balloons, or another 7th of October,” she said. “We’re not trying to disturb them, we’re not sending missiles or drones. We say,’Let us live in peace,you live in peace.’ But they don’t want that.”
Data from ACLED,a conflict monitor,details the scale of Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 7,2023,recording over 11,110 air and drone strikes,more than 6,250 shelling,artillery,or missile attacks,and approximately 1,500 armed clashes.
Another beeri resident, identified only as Messika, shared a similar sense of lost hope. before the war, residents of kibbutzim had attempted to foster positive relationships with Gazans, providing employment and medical care. She recalled her father fondly remembering trips to Gaza for its falafel and fresh produce. However, she now views those efforts as naive.
“We know that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza…. They hate us,” Messika stated, endorsing former President Trump’s plan to disarm Gaza as the only viable solution.
The community is divided on how to rebuild. Messika is appealing a decision to demolish damaged homes, arguing that they should be preserved as a memorial.”Some say we can’t come back to live near a place like this. It would be like living near Auschwitz,” she said. “But for her, it was a matter of turning Oct. 7 into a learning chance. Without that, she insisted, the suffering would all be for nothing. “The next generation, they need to learn and see with their own eyes, to walk through it,” she said. “It’s not enough to make a website, or a memorial. This is evidence for the history, for what happened to our friends. And I don’t want it to be destroyed.”
Meanwhile, approximately ten miles away in sderot, residents gathered at a viewpoint overlooking Gaza, using a telescope to observe the landscape. During the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, observers witnessed a large plume of smoke rising from the Nuseirat camp in gaza, and some expressed approval of the Israeli military’s actions. Children played nearby, seemingly oblivious to the ongoing conflict.
