A corner of the Be’eri settlement in southern Israel was destroyed by gunmen from the Islamic movement Hamas in Palestine on October 7, 2023. Photo cut from Reuters clip
British news agency Reuters said on November 28 that anyone who visited the Be’eri settlement before October 7 would encounter scenes similar to those in an adventure park. There are crisscrossing paths, gardens filled with toys, bicycles, balls made by children and many places where they can hide and seek.
According to Be’eri settlement secretary Alon Pauker, before October 7, this was “a green paradise”, but it became a “dark hell” on October 7. Because in the brutal attack on October 7, gunmen from the Islamic movement Hamas in Palestine “destroyed everything”.
Nearly two months after the attack, when people visited the Be’eri settlement, they still saw empty houses and burned cars lying around. Dark blood stains on the floor and on the walls of some houses. More than 40 buildings, meaning nearly a quarter of the total number of houses in the Be’eri settlement, were significantly damaged, some houses were half collapsed, some houses were destroyed by fire, and some houses even had the door of the security room. It’s all riddled with bullet holes.
October 7 became the bloodiest day in Israel’s 75-year history when Hamas gunmen killed more than 1,200 people and took about 240 people to the Gaza Strip as hostages. But if calculated in terms of death to population ratio, the loss of life in the Be’eri settlement cannot make people startle in horror. On October 7, 100 people in the Be’eri settlement were killed by Hamas gunmen, meaning that 1/10 of the population of the Be’eri settlement permanently left their earthly lives under merciless bullets. heartless, inhumane. Many families, all members were killed or kidnapped, but there were also families with only spouses, children or grandparents murdered by Hamas gunmen when they crossed the border. In addition, at least 30 people in the Be’eri settlement are missing, most likely among the hostages taken by Hamas to the Gaza Strip.
Currently, the gunfire has temporarily quieted when Israel and Hamas reached a temporary ceasefire agreement, initially lasting 4 days, effective from 7 a.m. November 24, then extended for 2 days and is currently being implemented. Consider extending it for another 4 days. It’s all about facilitating the return of hostages and increasing humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries into the Gaza Strip.
However, for Mr. Pauker and many people in the Be’eri settlement, they have not forgotten the nightmare they experienced nearly two months ago even though they have now been evacuated to a safe place, resting in hotels. Hotel by the Dead Sea. The psychological damage to Mr. Pauker and many people in the surviving Be’eri settlement is truly difficult to quantify.
The Be’eri settlement is located approximately 2 km from the Gaza Strip. The houses here all have safe rooms. They were built to protect residents from rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. But the attack on October 7 took place on land with gunmen equipped with heavy weapons. That’s why tragedy happened.
The bloody attack by Hamas gunmen on October 7 led to Israeli retaliation by air, sea and land. Israeli bombardment before the ceasefire agreement took effect killed at least 15,000 people in the Gaza Strip, of whom about 40% were children. In addition, many people may have died in the rubble caused by bombs.