The bullet holes visible in what is a door to a safe room demonstrate the horror of of the invasion of Israel by Hamas on October 7th last year. The family, including children, sheltering and holding desperately onto the door handle were shot dead.
Irit Lahav.
Most families living in the Nir Oz kibbutz were wiped out or taken into Gaza as hostages.
Irit Lahav broke down in tears moments after indicating the holes and explaining what happened. She was a resident of the kibbutz that remains almost totally destroyed.
As she told our group of journalists: “People cannot return because the memories are too disturbing. I am haunted by what happened here and it will stay with me all my life.”
The kibbutz is no longer occupied, and like those we met at other kibbutz, Irit commented on the thousand killed and over 100 taken hostage on October 7th saying that at Nir Oz 57 were dead and 70 kidnapped.
Irit, like many others, believes that “public opinion is a war tool”.
Speaking before Israel’s operation in Lebanon she blamed Hamas for starting the current escalation and said that education was the best way to establish peace.
In her view a properly guaranteed peace would lead to money pouring into Gaza. What happened on October 7 is against all principles of humanity and the spark that started a dangerous fire she concluded.
Images by Chris White.
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