Pioneering community along the Gaza border

Nahal Oz is only 0.75 miles from the Gaza border. Founded in 1953, with over 400 residents, the kibbutz is a small and close-knit agricultural pioneering community. The 120 families of Nahal Oz, 250 adults and 150 children, run a dairy farm, a chicken breeding farm, and crop-growing fields.

Facing unprecedented loss, trauma, and destruction

 On Saturday, October 7th, 2023, instead of waking up to the 70th anniversary celebration, hundreds of families woke up to thousands of Hamas terrorists that crossed the border and infiltrated into Israel. Nahal Oz is one of the communities the terrorists took over, brutally torturing, murdering, abducting, and massacring families who were hiding in 'safe rooms.’ Some were hiding for over 24 hours with no electricity or water, trying to defend themselves and their families.

After hours of intensive fighting, the horrors were revealed - about 23 members, ages 8-85, were either killed or abducted to Gaza, soldiers were killed and injured, other members were wounded, and all were deeply traumatized. Dozens of homes, land, and cars were damaged, the dairy farm burnt, the clinic bombed, and equipment stolen. All - community life, livelihood, and agriculture came to a complete halt. 

Standing with the community of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, now

The Black Saturday massacre left the kibbutz members, a small and united community, displaced, devastated, and in deep trauma, grieving the loss of their family and friends and praying for the return of their loved ones who were kidnapped. As the Nahal Oz community is grieving the incomprehensible loss, we mapped the most urgent needs: psycho-social post-trauma support to families, emergency aid to terror victim families, and assistance and support for the displaced families.