BE’ERI, Israel – In the aftermath of a devastating attack by Hamas militants on the kibbutz of Be’eri near the Gaza border, the air is heavy with the smell of death. The small community, caught completely off-guard, now lies in ruins. Israeli Maj. Gen. Itai Veruv, leading a group of journalists through the unrecognizable streets of Be’eri, described the attackers as coming to “kill and kill and kill.” Survivors like Liel Fishbien, who spent 22 hours hiding with his grandmother, attest to the destruction, stating that “everything was demolished.”

The attack has left approximately 100 people dead, with even more believed to have been taken hostage. Fishbien’s sister, Tchelet Fishbien, and her boyfriend were among those missing. Fishbien recounted the last conversation with his sister, where she warned him to “be careful and quiet” as the assailants entered their neighborhood. The sense of loss and despair is palpable among the survivors, who now find themselves without a plan, simply focused on survival.

Fishbien expressed his frustration with the Israeli government, feeling that they had been abandoned. He mourned the loss of innocent lives on both sides of the conflict, emphasizing that children should not be involved in such violence. And indeed, he witnessed some of the attackers who appeared to be no older than 14 years old.

The toll of this ongoing violence is staggering. In Israel, at least 1,200 people, including 189 soldiers, have lost their lives, while in Gaza, over 1,120 people have been killed and more than 260,000 displaced. These numbers highlight the profound human cost of the conflict.

As the smell of death continues to hang in the air in Be’eri, the community and the nation as a whole grapple with the aftermath of this brutal attack. The heartbreaking scenes of destroyed homes and the loss of innocent lives serve as a stark reminder of the toll that violence takes on both sides. The survivors of Be’eri, like Fishbien, are left to pick up the pieces and try to find some semblance of normalcy amidst the devastation.

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