Nir Oz may be one of the most unique places in the world today. It is an Israeli settlement where one can see firsthand what it means when death, grief, and incomprehensible evil coexist—but also reconstruction, the will to live, courage, and loyalty.
Yellow and Green Flags
On the site of many former homes in the idyllic small community stand burned house structures, in front of which black or yellow flags are placed. Yellow marked those held hostage, while black marked those who were killed. Some houses display both flags, as the residents were kidnapped as hostages and killed in Gaza. In the burned homes, the personal belongings of previous residents are still visible: cups, forks, cake moulds, and even small children’s toys in front of some houses.
On Saturday, 7 October 2023, during the festival of Simchat Torah, at around 6:30am, approximately 150 well-armed Hamas terrorists attacked Nir Oz from three directions. The attackers destroyed security cameras, automated weapons systems, and motion sensors, paralysing Israel’s defence before cutting through the border fence. The first seven-member group attacked the kibbutz’s guard. The settlement’s security team was quickly overwhelmed; most were killed or taken hostage, leaving the community even more defenceless as the massacre unfolded.
The Army Arrived Late
Proportionally, Nir Oz suffered the greatest destruction and bloodshed, partly because the Israeli army, caught in total chaos, ‘forgot’ the kibbutz. The army only arrived after the Hamas terrorists had caused massive destruction and had already left the settlement. The attackers withdrew from the kibbutz around 1:40pm, while the first Israeli forces arrived only at 2:40pm. At that point, the army evacuated the remaining civilians and declared full military control over the area. The terrorists broke into almost every home in the small community, sparing only six of over 200 houses, set fires, and caused severe damage. Out of 400 residents, 117 were affected by the terror attack—46 were killed, and 71 were abducted.
Hamas Terrorists Killed Israelis Who Helped the Gazans
Nir Oz was founded in 1955 by pioneers of Hashomer Hatzair and, like many kibbutzim, was strongly tied to socialist and leftist principles. Many members actively assisted Palestinians in Gaza, escorting patients with Israeli permits to Jerusalem or to medical treatment in the West Bank. Older generations of Nir Oz residents fondly remember visits to the Gaza seaside and shopping in nearby Khan Yunis before Hamas took control.
‘The entire Siman Tov family—Yonatan, Tamar, the five-year-old twins Shahar and Arbel, two-year-old Omer, and Yonatan’s 70-year-old mother, Carol—lost their lives’
Several older peace activists from Nir Oz, such as Oded Lifshitz and Ada Sagit, were kidnapped on 7 October. They could not lock their security room doors, making them easy targets. Younger residents were forced out of their homes by fires set by Hamas terrorists, who wanted to flush out anyone hiding in shelters.
The entire Siman Tov family—Yonatan, Tamar, the five-year-old twins Shahar and Arbel, two-year-old Omer, and Yonatan’s 70-year-old mother, Carol—lost their lives this way. Most of the families of hostages and victims from Nir Oz had lived in the settlement for generations. Among those killed in captivity was the youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, abducted and murdered along with his mother, Shiri, and sibling, Ariel. His father, Yarden Bibas, had been released in February as part of a previous Gaza ceasefire.
Although architects and construction companies have prepared detailed plans for Nir Oz, the damage is so severe that it is estimated it will take at least three years for the settlement to become habitable again.
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