Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ brutal invasion of Israel. The Hamas terrorists killed 1,224 Israelis, raped pregnant women, and beheaded babies. More Jews were killed on October 7, 2023, than on any single day in history since the Holocaust. Hamas kidnapped Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and foreign workers, totaling 262 people in all. Hamas still holds 48 hostages, 22 of whom are believed to be alive.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, nearly four thousand Israelis were celebrating close to the Gaza border near kibbutz Re’im at the Nova music festival. Hamas terrorists appeared out of nowhere on motorcycles, trucks, and powered paragliders, murdering 378 partygoers and kidnapping dozens.

Kibbutz Be’eri was a thriving secular kibbutz with around 1,000 residents. On the morning of October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded the kibbutz on motorcycles and in trucks, murdering 102 residents and kidnapping thirty in an assault that lasted twenty-seven hours. Twenty-four IDF soldiers died trying to liberate the community. Hamas still holds the bodies of four Be’eri residents: Yossi Sharabi, Manny Godard, Sahar Baruch, and Dror Or.

On October 6, 2025, a memorial service was held at Kibbutz Be’eri for the fallen. Two years after Hamas’ unprovoked invasion, around 100 of the residents have returned to live in Kibbutz Be’eri. Around 750 residents are still living in temporary housing in Kibbutz Hatzerim, four miles west of Be’er-Sheva. Another 250 former residents are scattered around the country.

Kibbutz Be’eri is being repaired and rebuilt, but many of the burnt-out homes from Hamas’ devastating attack still remain as a stark reminder of what was lost. The Israeli government plans to have the majority of the residents return in July 2026.

Kibbutz Nir Oz was a small secular community less than two miles from the Gaza border. On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists completely destroyed the kibbutz, entering every home except six and murdering 117 of the 400 residents who lived there. Nine residents of the kibbutz are still being held hostage by Hamas. Five of those nine are believed to still be alive.

A memorial was held at the Kibbutz Nir Oz cemetery to commemorate those lost. Survivors lit memorial candles, shared memories, and watched videos of the fallen. Most of the residents live in temporary housing in Kiryat Gat, about thirty miles to the north. Nir Oz is being renovated and rebuilt, and residents are expected to move back into the new Pioneers’ neighborhood in December 2025. If you are interested in an interactive map that shows exactly where all the 1,224 Israelis were killed, then click here.