On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, a devastating tragedy struck Kibbutz Be’eri when hundreds of Hamas militants invaded the community, unleashing a wave of unimaginable horror. Ninety-three members of the community had been brutally murdered, including women, children, toddlers, and even an infant, amounting to 10% of the farming community’s residents. Fire and gunfire destroyed thirty percent of Be’eri’s homes, leaving tales of survival marked by horror, abandonment, helplessness, and enduring pain.

Renowned for its pro-peace sympathies, Kibbutz Be’eri, had a special fund to provide financial help to Gazans who came to the kibbutz on work permits. Additionally, members of the kibbutz often volunteered to drive sick Palestinians to an oncology center in southern Israel. The terrorists entered the kibbutz on motorcycles and in vehicles, overwhelming the 10-member security team with their sheer number and firepower.

The attackers moved from house to house, shooting or capturing residents and setting buildings on fire. They were accompanied by a camera team and journalist who documented the attack. Many residents attempted to hide in safe rooms designed to shelter from rocket attacks and bombs, but the attackers blew up the doors and massacred everyone inside.

Nine Kibbutz members were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip as hostages, their fate uncertain, with four of them having since died in captivity. These documentary photos serve as a silent testament to that attack.