Be'eri kibbutz in Israel served as a stark representation of Hamas's cruelty. Some persisting survivors harbor plans to return.
This house holds the tale of Be'eri, mentions Yarden Tzemach, a local farmer and inhabitant of the Israeli commune close to Gaza, which was ransacked by Hamas militants not too long ago.
Inside this house, lives were extinguished. A lineage, consisting of three young ones, was abducted from here, he reveals.
Outside, amid the debris of the backyard, a child's ride-on vehicle adorned with Winnie the Pooh stickers lingers, symbolizing the shattered lives that once thrived here.
In certain areas of Be'eri, few structures remained unscathed. Over 100 of its 1,100 people were massacred, and another 30 were taken captive to Gaza on October 7.
Homes after homes burned down or crumbled to ruins, and a year has passed, leaving these remains as heart-rending reminders of the lingering traumas. Around 10 residents of the commune, close friends and neighbors, are among the over 100 suspected Israelis still held hostage.
Contracts for a truce and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly disintegrated due to the anger and frustration of the hostage relatives.
‘The finest recovery is returning home
In the primary administrative building of Be'eri, two massive aerial images hang side by side near the entrance. One captures the kibbutz in April 2023, revealing neat rows of pristine, white houses nestled in verdant gardens. The other snapshot, taken immediately following the October 7 attack, reveals the same buildings charred and demolished in the militants' rampage.
“They murdered my sister over there,” remarks Amit Solvy, pointing to a house on the map, five rows away from the fence that surrounds the kibbutz.
Elsewhere in the administrative building, two posters are affixed to a window – one displaying the names and faces of the kibbutz residents who perished, and another enlisting those who are currently held captive.
Solvy, the Be'eri treasurer, a veteran Israeli soldier who fought in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, is one of nearly 100 inhabitants who have returned so far. Despite his personal loss, he moved back to his house three months ago and is now aiding in the revival of Be'eri, formerly a self-sustaining farming commune.
“I advised everyone that the finest recovery is returning home. This, in my view, is the best emotional healing,” says Solvy.
But he acknowledges that not all surviving residents of Be'eri feel the same, estimating that approximately 15% of them may never return due to the trauma and haunting memories of October 7.
And, he adds, those who wish to return are unable to do so until the essential repair work is completed and homes are rebuilt, a sizable refurbishment project that means it will take at least 2 years, according to Solvy, before the vast majority of residents can return home.
“There are no facilities for children, no schools, so families cannot come back yet,” he explains.
‘There were terrorists in my house’
Work on the physical injuries has already commenced, with heavy machinery excavating a new neighborhood for Be'eri. Fresh homes, untouched by the October 7 attack, are viewed as a crucial strategy to attract the majority of its residents back.
Ayelet Hakim, her husband, and their 12-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter share lodging with other Be'eri survivors in government-subsidized temporary housing in another commune, Hatzerim, an hour away from the horrific memories of their former home.
“It is a trauma, the notion of going back to reside in a house that vicious terrorists occupied,” Ayelet tells CNN while preparing dinner in their new kitchen.
“I sat in my safe room there for hours upon hours, not knowing what was happening and feeling my life, my kid's life, being endangered, because there were terrorists in my house,” she recounts.
Her son, Yehonatan, interrupts her. “I want to return to Be'eri, to the house I used to live in. I don’t care about the fear,” he begs.
“The house, no. The commune, yes,” insists Ayelet.
“Kibbutz Be'eri has been my home for the past 56 years. That is where I wish to dwell,” she declares.
But after the immense devastation and destruction in Be'eri, a commune so close to Gaza, much must be accomplished to assure residents that they'll be secured.
In July, an Israel Defense Forces internal investigation into the events of October 7 found that the Israeli military fell short in safeguarding the inhabitants and was inadequately prepared for the unprecedented Hamas raid.
“I believe it will be possible. However, it will be an enormous challenge and will take a substantial amount of time for people to feel safe as they did before October 7,” remarks Tzemach, stood among the debris of his neighborhood in Be'eri.
“You understand, once something happens, you always harbor the fear that it could happen again.”
The world applauds the resilience of Be'eri residents as they rebuild their lives after the devastating attack. Despite the physical and emotional scars, the call to return home becomes a beacon of hope for many.
The world awaits the day when Be'eri, once a self-sustaining farming commune, regains its peace and tranquility, becoming a symbol of resilience and unity in the face of adversity.
