Three Years After October 7, Nir Oz Residents Face Painful Rebuilding Journey

Three years after the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, the residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz are marking the anniversary amid ruins and unresolved grief. Once a close-knit community of approximately 400 people near the Gaza border, the kibbutz now stands as one of the most devastated sites from Israel’s deadliest day.

Walking through the deserted dining hall, where birds now nest among broken ceiling tiles, Dalit Ram Aharon and her husband Achi reflect on the losses. Bullet holes mar the glass entrance doors, and postboxes bearing red and black stickers serve as grim memorials: red for the killed, black for those taken hostage. “That’s one out of four of us: murdered or kidnapped,” Dalit said, noting that the victims included children and babies.

The attack saw an estimated 500 Palestinian fighters, including elite Nukhba force members and civilian looters, penetrate the kibbutz. Forty-one residents and foreign workers were killed, along with six visitors from a nearby party. Seventy-six people were kidnapped to Gaza, including nine bodies. The last living hostages from Nir Oz were released on October 13, 2025, with the remains of the final deceased hostage, Amiram Cooper, returned two weeks later.

Among the most harrowing stories is that of the Siman Tov family. Tamar, Yonatan, and their three young children—twins Shahar and Arbel, aged five, and two-year-old Omer—were killed in their home. The parents were shot through the door of a bomb shelter designed to withstand rockets, not gunfire. Tamar’s final social media messages described the attackers shooting them and the family sustaining severe injuries. Investigators believe the house was torched, leading to the children’s deaths from suffocation.

An Israeli Defense Forces investigation highlighted that military response was severely delayed. Soldiers did not arrive until 40 minutes after the last attackers had left, underscoring the disarray caused by simultaneous assaults on over 20 communities. Nearly every household experienced violence, killing, sexual assault, looting, and kidnapping.

The physical reconstruction of Nir Oz presents a moral and emotional dilemma. Emi Palmor, director of the rebuilding project, noted that terrorists penetrated 97% of households and burned down nearly half of the simple, one-story homes. Dozens of fire-damaged structures have been demolished, leaving only reinforced concrete safe rooms. “Now it’s the only place in Israel that has to be completely demolished and completely replanned,” Palmor said.

Residents are divided on whether to preserve some destroyed homes as evidence. Achi Aharon supports keeping them so the public can witness the destruction and hatred. Others, however, prefer a serene environment to avoid daily reminders of their loss. About 20 houses have been renovated or rebuilt, and some former hostages, including co-founder Gadi Moses and Yair Horn, have returned. However, Palmor indicated the kibbutz would not fully reopen for another two years.

Personal trauma remains acute for survivors. Dalit Aharon’s eldest son, Uri, who turned nine on the day of the attack while hiding in a shelter, recalled telling her, “Mum, I don’t want to die on my birthday.” Dalit also remembered her close friend Shiri Bibas, whose two sons, Ariel and Kfir, were kidnapped and later killed. While Shiri’s husband Yarden was released in a February 2025 ceasefire deal, forensic experts determined he and the children were murdered by their captors, contrary to Hamas’s claim that they died in an air strike.

Many bereaved families, including the Bibas family aside from Yarden, have moved away permanently. For those staying, the return of the hostages has shifted the focus toward personal healing. “Until the hostages came back, it was the only thing on our mind,” Achi Aharon said. “Now you have the time to concentrate on yourself… Now it’s our recovery.”

The October 7 attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 kidnappings. The ensuing war has killed more than 74,200 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, a figure the UN considers accurate. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced, and much of the territory lies in ruins. With the US-brokered ceasefire in place but violence continuing, and President Donald Trump’s peace plan at an impasse, questions regarding accountability for the security failure remain unanswered. Residents of Nir Oz continue to advocate for a comprehensive state commission of inquiry.