Bodies of Israeli residents and Hamas attackers were found outside charred homes in the Israeli kibbutz Kfar Aza on Tuesday, following a large-scale surprise assault by the Palestinian militant group.
Hamas sent heavily armed fighters pouring across the border from Gaza, rampaging through rural communities, with Israel reporting the discovery of 1,500 militants’ bodies in the aftermath of the attack.
Houses in Kfar Aza were looted and set on fire, and the aftermath revealed overturned mattresses, destroyed furniture, shattered trinkets, and unexploded grenades scattered on the premises, along with the casualties – providing a glimpse into the extent of devastation caused by Hamas in the area.
Maj. Gen. Itai Veruv expressed his astonishment, stating, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my career, never in 40 years of service; this is something I never imagined.’ This was said just hours after Israeli troops secured the kibbutz from Hamas attackers.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were engaged in a house-to-house effort in Kfar Aza, collecting the deceased in body bags and loading them onto trucks. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an IDF spokesperson, reported a death toll of at least 1,200 people in Israel since the conflict’s outbreak.
Israel, in response, conducted a relentless aerial campaign against Gaza, resulting in the destruction of homes, schools, medical facilities, and government buildings in the besieged area.
The death toll in Gaza has reached 900, including 260 children and 230 women, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, with an additional 4,500 injured.
The attacks on Kfar Aza and other kibbutzim marked a stark departure from the idyllic image associated with these communities. The IDF referred to the Kfar Aza killings as a ‘massacre,’ with the number of casualties unconfirmed.
Heavily armed militants arrived in Be’eri after breaching the border fence, leading to the deaths of over 100 people, including civilians. Assailants targeted residents in Be’eri and also attacked a nearby music festival, Nova, killing more than 260 people.
In Urim, residents endured a harrowing experience as Hamas attacks neared their homes, resulting in gunfire and panic. The residents sought refuge in bomb shelters and improvised safe rooms, but the situation remained tense until an Israeli army unit managed to apprehend militants attempting to breach the kibbutz.
