"The loss is everywhere": The open wound of Nir Oz, the rebuilding - and the complex question

Three years after October 7, Kibbutz Nir Oz is undergoing dramatic change: 120 residents already sleep there every night, 220 new housing units are being built, and the grocery store, dining hall, and pub have resumed operations. Alongside the construction boom stands the question of commemoration and the return of residents, as loss is present in every corner alongside new life.

Three years after October 7, Kibbutz Nir Oz, which became a symbol of the failure and massacre, is undergoing a dramatic change. 120 residents already sleep in the kibbutz every night, about a third of the number of people who were there on the morning of the attack. Alongside massive construction of 220 new housing units in six complexes, the grocery store, dining hall, and pub have resumed operations. Telma Atzili, who returned four months ago and whose son was killed in battle, describes a complex atmosphere of growth alongside loss present everywhere. Ron Behat, responsible for physical rehabilitation, estimates that about 60% of the original residents will eventually return, and the void will be filled by new families. The new homes include unusual fortification including a bulletproof door and a fortified bathroom, funded by the community itself. About 20 families and young people have already registered for absorption. Alongside this, about 45 families decided not to return and moved to Kibbutz Beit Nir. The Maor family, survivors of the massacre, are waging a struggle for financial compensation after deciding to disconnect from the community. The central question that remains open is how to commemorate the memory in a place where the disaster met everyone.