In a harrowing recount of the recent violence in Beyeri, a kibbutz in southern Israel, local residents and fighters described a brutal invasion by over 340 armed assailants, some reportedly donning Israeli uniforms. The attack resulted in the deaths of 101 civilians—over 10% of Beyeri's population—alongside more than 30 security personnel. Eyewitness accounts reveal a scene of chaos, with civilians killed at point-blank range and bodies discarded without dignity, as survivors were left to fend for themselves for hours before military assistance arrived.

Yonatan Alfea, a reservist and former paratrooper, shared his experience of the two-day battle to reclaim Beyeri, highlighting the unpreparedness of the defenders who faced heavily armed Hamas militants. Alfea noted that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged failures in their response, citing a lack of coordination and command during the initial hours of the attack.

The kibbutz, founded in 1946 by pioneers seeking to cultivate the Negev Desert, has long been a symbol of cooperation and communal living. Nili Barsinai, a long-time resident, expressed the deep irony of their cooperative ideals being met with such violence. The tragedy struck particularly hard for families, as illustrated by the story of Yiram Bar Sinai, who rushed to protect his family during the attack but was ultimately killed.

In the aftermath, neighboring kibbutz Hatzirim has opened its doors to those displaced by the violence, providing temporary housing for survivors like Ayelet Hakim. She described the unimaginable horror of the events on October 7, stating that while she has a house, it no longer feels like a home. The community's resilience is being tested as they navigate the trauma and loss inflicted by this tragic episode.