Nir Yitzhak massacre
Part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel
Native nameהטבח בניר יצחק
LocationNir Yitzhak, Southern District, Israel
Date7 October 2023 (2023-10-07)
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, war crime
Deaths
Victims
  • Hostages: 5+[1]
Perpetrator Hamas (Nuseirat Battalion)

On 7 October 2023, dozens of Hamas militants carried out a massacre at Israeli kibbutz Nir Yitzhak near the Gaza Strip, as part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, during the festivities of Simchat Torah. Several members of the community were killed and other residents were forcibly taken to Gaza.[2]

Background

Nir Yitzhak is a kibbutz in Israel's northwestern Negev desert, established on 8 December 1949, and named after Palmach commander Yitzhak Sadeh. Affiliated with the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement, it supports the "Garin Tzabar" program for non-Israeli Jews serving in the Israel Defense Forces.[3] As of 2021, it had a population of 649.[4] Economically, it co-owns Shahen Agriculture Co., specializing in field crop production, with Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.

On the morning of 7 October 2023, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad organizations launched a surprise attack on Israel. Under cover of rocket fire at Israel, around 3,000 militants infiltrated Israeli communities and military facilities, engaging in gun battles against sparse security forces. The militants murdered 1,080 civilians, killed 55 policemen and 301 soldiers, and kidnapped at least 247 people (of whom 5 were released) to the Gaza Strip, including women and elderly.[5]

The massacre

On 7 October 2023, around 7:00 am, dozens of Hamas militants entered the kibbutz territory and began going from house to house, murdering the residents. During the massacre the militants caused extensive destruction and looted equipment from the houses they broke into.[6]

The kibbutz residents were locked in safe rooms for over 14 hours,[1] without access to water, food or sanitation, while constant shooting continued inside and outside the homes. Vehicles belonging to several families were stolen and apparently used to transport the kidnap victims to the Gaza Strip.[7][1]

The kibbutz rapid response team fought dozens of infiltrating militants in an attempt to protect the residents.[8] The team's sergeant major and another response team member were killed in the fighting. Another kibbutz resident was killed in fierce combat with the militants.[8]

Four members of the rapid response team are missing and their condition is unknown.[8] Two more kibbutz members, and three guests staying with them, were kidnapped to Gaza, and their fate is unknown.[1] One of the militant squads also penetrated the kibbutz's Chemi Pharm plant, attempting to murder and kidnap workers, and destroying and looting equipment.[9] Thanks to the plant's camera network, workers barricaded themselves in the fortified operations area and were thus saved, even continuing production activities.[10]

LOTAR unit fighters who arrived at the kibbutz engaged in battle and succeeded in killing most of the militants and repelling or capturing the rest.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 צורי, מתן (2023-10-11). "משפחה שלמה, 4 מחברי כיתת הכוננות: בניר יצחק מייחלים לאות חיים מהנעדרים". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  2. ↑ Rabin, Roni Caryn (10 October 2023). "Peace Activists Are Among the Israelis Missing and Killed". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Zitun, Yoav (2014-12-19). "Gaza rocket hits Israel for third time since summer war". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  4. ↑ "Regional Statistics".
  5. ↑ חדשות (2023-10-14). "פורסמו שמות חברי קיבוץ ניר יצחק שנלקחו בשבי או נעדרים". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  6. ↑ Winer, Stuart. "Elderly couple, abducted by Hamas, tell how they refused to be taken to Gaza". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  7. ↑ "Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha, Nir Yitzhak residents say terrorists still inside communities". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  8. 1 2 3 "נלחמו בגבורה מול עשרות מחבלים והגנו בגופם על הקיבוץ" (in Hebrew). 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  9. ↑ Davies, Alys (7 October 2023). "What we know about Israeli hostages taken by Hamas". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "תעשייה תחת מתקפה: הסיפור של מפעל כימדע בקיבוץ ניר יצחק - וואלה! כסף". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  11. ↑ "Israel's military says it fully controls communities on Gaza border". BBC News. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
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