Kibbutz Be’eri
On the morning of Saturday, October 7, Kibbutz Be’eri was struck by a devastating tragedy. Read More…
Kibbutz Be'eri
On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, Kibbutz Be’eri was struck by a devastating tragedy. Hundreds of Hamas fighters invaded the community, unleashing a wave of unimaginable horror. As of February 27, 2024, ninety-three members of the community had been brutally murdered. This horrific event claimed the lives of women, children, toddlers, and even an infant, amounting to 10% of the farming community’s residents.
Fire and gunfire destroyed thirty percent of Be’eri’s homes, leaving behind tales of survival marked by horror, abandonment, helplessness, and enduring pain.
Be’eri was well-known for its pro-peace sympathies. It had a special fund to provide financial help to Gazans who came to the kibbutz on work permits. Additionally, members of the kibbutz would often volunteer to drive sick Palestinians to an oncology center in southern Israel.
The terrorists entered the kibbutz on motorcycles and in vehicles. The kibbutz’s 10-member security team fought the attackers but was overwhelmed by their sheer number and firepower. After capturing the kibbutz, the attackers went from house to house, shooting or capturing residents while setting buildings on fire. They were accompanied by a camera team and a journalist who documented the attack and extolled it as a Palestinian victory. Many residents tried to hide in safe rooms, which are designed to shelter from rocket attacks and bombs, but the attackers blew up the doors and massacred everyone inside.
Nine members were taken into the Gaza Strip, four of whom have since died in captivity. Videos have emerged showing the hostages being led barefoot in a victory parade across Gaza. 134 Israelis are still held hostage, their fate uncertain.
These documentary photos serve as a silent testament to that attack.
On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, a devastating tragedy struck Kibbutz Be’eri when hundreds of Hamas terrorists invaded the community, unleashing a wave of unimaginable horror. Ninety-three members of the community had been brutally murdered, including women, children, toddlers, and even an infant, amounting to 10% of the farming community’s residents. Fire and gunfire destroyed thirty percent of Be’eri’s homes, leaving tales of survival marked by horror, abandonment, helplessness, and enduring pain.
Kibbutz Be’eri, was renowned for its pro-peace sympathies, had a special fund to provide financial help to Gazans who came to the kibbutz on work permits. Additionally, members of the kibbutz often volunteered to drive sick Palestinians to an oncology center in southern Israel. The terrorists entered the kibbutz on motorcycles and in vehicles, overwhelming the 10-member security team with their sheer number and firepower.
The terrorists moved from house to house, shooting or capturing residents and setting buildings on fire. They were accompanied by a camera team and a journalist who documented the attack. Many residents attempted to hide in safe rooms designed to shelter from rocket attacks and bombs, but the terrorists blew up the doors and massacred everyone inside.
Nine Kibbutz members were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip as hostages, four of them having since died in captivity. The fate of the remaining five hostages is uncertain. These documentary photos serve as a silent testament to the horrific attack.
(c) Ilan Wittenberg
(c) Ilan Wittenberg