Kibbutz Kfar Aza is like a small version of what has happened in the beginning of this war. It also shows us a little bit of what might happen in the future.
On Tuesday morning, the fighting continued in the kibbutz, which is an Israeli community near Gaza. That’s why they are only now gathering the bodies of Israeli people who were killed when Hamas came into Israel from Gaza early on Saturday morning.
Soldiers who spent a lot of time searching for and finding dead bodies of regular people said there was a terrible event where lots of people were killed. It seems probable that most of the killing occurred in the early hours of the attack on Saturday.
The Israeli army was surprised and it took them 12 hours to reach the kibbutz, according to Davidi Ben Zion, who is the deputy commander of Unit 71. Unit 71 is a skilled group of paratroopers who led the attack.
“He said we helped many moms and dads and kids survive, thank God. ” Sadly, some people were harmed by Molotov cocktails being thrown at them. They behave very aggressively, just like animals do.
Mr Ben Zion said that the Hamas gunmen who killed families, even babies, were simply a group of people dedicated to killing everyone. Their victims were unarmed and defenseless, just normal citizens who only wanted to have their breakfast.
Some of the people had their heads cut off, he said.
“They murdered them and chopped off some of their heads. It’s really horrifying to witness. We need to always remember who the enemy is and what our goal is – to bring fairness where there is one clear side, and everyone in the world needs to support us. ”
Another police officer indicated a sleeping bag that was covered in blood and was the color purple. A toe that is bigger than normal popped out. He said that a woman was murdered and had her head cut off in her front yard. I didn’t tell the officer to check her body by moving the sleeping bag. A little distance away, there was a dead Hamas fighter whose body looked burned and puffy.
Kibbutz Kfar Aza provides more evidence that shows how Hamas gunmen have committed war crimes. The community was surprised, just like their Israeli neighbors.
The first level of protection was the kibbutz guard. These were resident members who had military experience and they would patrol the area around the kibbutz. They died while trying to defend themselves against the people who were attacking them.
Their bodies were taken out this morning from where they were, in the middle of the kibbutz. Like the other Israeli people who died, their bodies were covered in black plastic. They were then carried on stretchers to a place where cars are parked, and placed in a row, waiting to be taken back.
The people who live in the Israeli border communities knew that they might get attacked by rockets sometimes because Hamas took over Gaza in 2007. They were okay with the danger that came with living in the countryside in a close-knit community, which still had some of the adventurous spirit of the first Jewish settlers.
People living in Kfar Aza and other Israeli communities near the Gaza wire had a good life, even though there was a risk of rockets from Hamas. In the houses, lawns, and open areas of the kibbutz, there was always a concrete shelter nearby.
All the houses had extra strong rooms for safety. They also had outdoor areas with open spaces, grills for cooking, swings for the kids, and clean air.
But no one in Kfar Aza or anywhere in Israel believed that Hamas would be able to break through Israel’s protections and cause the deaths of so many people.
Israeli people are feeling a mix of horror, anger, and shock because they can’t believe that their government and military didn’t do their main job of keeping them safe.
The bodies of dead Hamas fighters, who caused the death of many people, have been left to decay in the sun. They are lying uncovered in the places where they were killed, such as bushes, ditches, and the lawns of the kibbutz.
Next to their bodies are the motorcycles they used to quickly enter the kibbutz after getting past the border fence. The broken remains of a paraglider that was used to fly over Israel’s defenses can be seen there. It was knocked off its path and landed on a flower bed.
The Israelis had a tough fight to take back Kfar Aza from other border settlements.
This morning, when we got to the kibbutz entrance, there were many Israeli soldiers guarding its edges. We were able to hear what they were saying on the radio.
A leader told their soldiers to start shooting at a building in Gaza. Fire started from automatic weapons right away and was aimed across the border into Gaza.
The loud sound of bombs dropping from planes could be heard constantly in Gaza while we were in Kfar Aza.
Israel is going through a difficult time because many of their fellow citizens were killed on Saturday, which has caused a lot of emotional pain for everyone.
However, in Gaza, many regular people are also getting killed. International humanitarian law says that everyone fighting in a war should keep the civilians safe.
It is obvious that when Hamas attackers kill many innocent people, they are breaking the rules of war in a very serious way. Israelis do not agree with comparing how Hamas kills innocent people to how Palestinian innocent people die in Israeli air attacks.
Major General Itai Veruv, who was near the end of his military career when he led the battle to recapture the kibbutz, strongly believed that Israel was following the rules of war properly.
I believe we will defend our beliefs and customs with determination and strength, but we will also maintain our principles and ethical standards. We are from Israel and we practice the Jewish religion.
He said very firmly that they did not stop following the laws of war. It is sure that if more Palestinian civilians are killed, Israel will receive more and stronger criticism.
This is a small view of what the future might look like in Kfar Aza. I spoke to a soldier who did not want to tell me his name, and he had a similar attitude. Just like many other Israelis, the first few days of this war and what he witnessed made him more determined to fight.
When they got there, he described it as a complete mess with terrorists all around.
I asked how hard the fighting was.
Have you ever done something similar as a soldier in the past.
I don’t understand, I just do what I am told to do. I want us to go inside.
Traveling into Gaza would be a very difficult and challenging battle.
Okay We are prepared for it.
The soldiers were mostly from backup groups. In the past, serving in the military was seen as an important way to bring people together and create a strong nation, especially when there were disagreements and conflicts among the population.
Davidi Ben Zion, the leader of the first group to fight against the kibbutz and witness the destruction caused by Hamas, recognized that Israelis had strong differences in their political views. However, he stated that now they are all together in their response to the attack.
There was a very bad smell of rotting flesh in the hot autumn sun of the Mediterranean. Soldiers are being cautious as they clear out the bodies from destroyed houses. They are being careful because they are worried about finding explosives that could still be dangerous, and might even be set up as traps. There was a grenade on a path in the garden.
While they were trying to find and bring back the bodies, sometimes they had to hide because they were warned about rockets being launched by Hamas.