“We will not forget”: three weeks after the Hamas attack, survivors return to Nir Oz

Three weeks after the Hamas attack in Israel which left more than 1,400 dead according to the latest reports from the Jewish state, the shock is still immense. For survivors of kibbutzim (Israeli community villages) near Gaza, it is time to take stock of the damage.

“Bringing my kids home is all I want.”

In Nir Oz, just two kilometers from the border with the Palestinian enclave, a small number of survivors of the attack were able to return to their homes, under a heavy military presence. In the distance, the din of bombings and artillery fire on Gaza resonates amid the ruins.

Hadas searches what remains of his house. She is holding some photos recovered from the debris, those of her son and daughter kidnapped by Hamas in this kibbutz. “I just come for one thing: to save their lives and bring them home. Bringing my children home is all I want,” she explains to Europe 1.

Communities that “will be rebuilt”

But for Ron, the village chief, nothing will be the same. “I am sure that some hostages will return, but not all…” he regrets, explaining that Hamas remains their enemy. “We will not forget,” he warns. But there is no question of abandoning this land, assures Ethan, one of the government spokespersons. The greatest desire of this population, it’s incredible, is that they want to come back,” he explains.

“It could take six months, or it could take six years. But ultimately, these communities will be rebuilt,” concludes the spokesperson. Since the start of the war, more than 200,000 people have had to leave their kibbutz in the north and south of Israel.