Jump to content

Be'eri massacre

Coordinates: 31°25′26″N 34°29′23″E / 31.42389°N 34.48972°E / 31.42389; 34.48972
Extended-protected article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jayen466 (talk | contribs) at 12:27, 24 January 2024 (→Timeline: Basson claims: Haaretz). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Be'eri massacre
Part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel
One of the houses in Be'eri in the massacre's aftermath
Be'eri is located in the Gaza Strip
Be'eri
Be'eri
class=notpageimage|
Site of the attack in Israel
Native nameהטבח בבארי
LocationBe'eri, Southern District, Israel
Coordinates31°25′26″N 34°29′23″E / 31.42389°N 34.48972°E / 31.42389; 34.48972
Date7 October 2023; 13 months ago (2023-10-07)
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, Arson, war crime
Deaths
VictimsHundreds missing[7]
Perpetrator

On 7 October 2023, in the opening attacks of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, Hamas militants[9][10][11] carried out a massacre at Be'eri, an Israeli kibbutz near the Gaza Strip.

Around 70 Hamas militants had attacked the kibbutz and at least 130 people were killed in the attack,[1] including women (such as peace activist Vivian Silver),[12] children,[3] toddlers, and one infant,[13][14][15][16] claiming the lives of 10% of the farming community's residents. Dozens of homes were also burned down.[17] This incident occurred concurrently with a series of other massacres and military engagements in multiple neighbouring Israeli communities, including Netiv haAsara, Kfar Aza, and the Rei'm music festival massacre.[18] Several newspapers described the massacre as an act of terrorism.[19][9][20][21][22] A few early claims regarding the attack were later found to be false.[23]

Hostages were taken, leading to a stand-off with the Israel Defense Forces.[24][25] Relatives of some of those killed have demanded a probe into potential deaths of some of these hostages from friendly fire, including one incident in which an Israeli tank fired at a house full of hostages.[26][27][28]

Background

Kibbutz Be'eri is a veteran-established kibbutz located in the Gaza periphery since 1946. Its members are generally on the secular left, and it includes many peace activists.[29]

The kibbutz had around 1,200 residents before the attack and was the largest village of the Eshkol Regional Council.[11][30]

Attack

The Hamas force targeting Be'eri consisted of militants belonging to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades' Nuseirat Battalion led by Abed al Rahman.[8] On the morning of 7 October 2023, at 6:30 am, Hamas militants began firing rockets at the kibbutz. Another Palestinian militant group, the Maoist DFLP, later declared that its troops (organized as National Resistance Brigades) were also fighting the IDF in Be'eri.[31] Around 70 militants entered the kibbutz on motorcycles and in vehicles.[32] The kibbutz's 10-member security team fought the attackers but was overwhelmed and at least five were killed.[33] After capturing the village, the attackers started going from house to house, shooting or capturing the residents.[34] They also shot at buildings and set some on fire. The militants were accompanied by a camera team and journalist who documented the attack and extolled it as a Palestinian victory.[11] Many residents tried to hide in safe rooms, but the militants blew up the safe room doors and killed those inside.[35]

The militants took up to 50 people hostage in a dining room in Be'eri,[36] and kidnapped others, taking them the Gaza Strip.[11] Videos emerged showing the hostages being led barefoot across a street in town.[36] The hostages in the dining hall were freed when security forces stormed the dining hall, killing the militants there.[37]

Timeline

Israeli president Isaac Herzog in Be'eri, on 15 October 2023.

Using collected WhatsApp messages from a mother's group in the kibbutz and CCTV footage, a rough timeline was established. Hamas arrived at the gate of the kibbutz before 6:00 am, with the militants first executing the civilians in a vehicle.[38] By 7:10 am, the first messages on the WhatsApp group contained images of three motorbikes, each carrying two heavily armed Hamas militants leaving through the main gate. At 9:05 am, Hamas was seen dragging a corpse from the car that was destroyed at the kibbutz gate.

Tutorials on locking doors were shared on the WhatsApp group, but concerns were expressed over the shelters' inability to stop attackers.[38] Hamas attackers went around the neighborhoods, shooting and throwing grenades, massacring the occupants of each house and setting some on fire with Molotov cocktails. WhatsApp was used to advise occupants and share safehouses, but it also turned increasingly desperate as mentions of deaths of family members and a dead baby surfaced.[38] One 10-month-old baby is confirmed to have been shot during the attack, while held in the arms of her mother.[23][39]

One of the many houses which was burned and destroyed during the attack

Two hours after the massacre began, twenty Israeli Air Force airmen from the elite Shaldag Unit arrived by helicopter at Kibbutz Be'eri. Five were killed and one was wounded by the militants within a very short time, many of them near "the iconic yellow gate of the kibbutz." The surviving airmen were forced to retreat and find other civilian areas with less resistance due to their now very small group.[6] An Israeli CH-53D helicopter was destroyed on the ground by Hamas militants hours after the attack.[40]

At some point, at least two tanks arrived and were ordered to shell houses where militants were thought to be hiding.[41]

After around 12 hours, more IDF forces arrived and killed most of the militants. Some 18 hours after the stand-off began, the IDF reported the hostages had been freed.[how?][36] However, security forces continued to sweep the village for Hamas holdouts.[11][42][failed verification] Four civilians were killed near the Gaza border while in the custody of Hamas militants.[43]

Vivian Silver, a Canadian-Israeli peace activist and women's rights activist, was one of the people killed in Be'eri

Behind the main dining hall, dozens of Hamas members held 15 Israelis as hostages. 13 of these hostages, including two 12-year-old twins, were later killed, some in crossfire as Hamas miltants and Israeli forces exchanged fire and an Israeli tank fired on the house where they were held.[23][26] The twins' bodies were burned and were only identified more than a month after the attack.[44] The kibbutz suffered heavy losses of life and property.[45]

Yossi Landau, regional head of the relief organisation ZAKA, stated to Sky News that around 80% of the bodies at Be'eri and Kfar Aza showed signs of torture, and that he found "two piles of ten children each were tied to the back, burnt to death" at Be'eri.[46] Haaretz later found the claim regarding the tied children was erroneus, because the list of the dead at Be'eri only includes 9 children.[23] In January 2024, Kibbutz Be'eri also pushed back against a senior IDF commander's claim that eight babies were killed in the kibbutz's communal nursery and that an Auschwitz survivor called Genia was among those murdered during the attack; neither incident happened.[47]

Survivors and first responders have reported that some of the women from Be'eri suffered sexual violence during the attack.[48]

A resident later told The Times of Israel that the kibbutz was "completely destroyed".[49] Some hostages were held captive for two days, until Israeli Defense Forces moved in on 9 October. A resident who was away at the time when the attack began said Israeli forces only gained control on Monday night, after commanders in the field made difficult decisions – including shelling houses with their occupants inside, without knowing whether the hostages inside them were dead or alive.[50]a

Aftermath

On 24 October 2023, the IDF reportedly killed Abed al Rahman, deputy commander of the Nuseirat Battalion, who had led the Be'eri massacre.[8]

On 6 January 2024 IDF and Shin Bet announced that the commander of the Nuseirat battalion Ismail Siraj and his new deputy Ahmed Wahaba, who had replaced Rahman, were killed in an airstrike.[51]

Survivors' testimony on tank fire, families' call for IDF probe

Yasmin Porat and Hadas Dagan, two of the surviving hostages, said in interviews that an Israeli tank fired on a house in which several dozen millitants were holding 14 hostages, including the 12-year-old twins.[52][26] Porat had been able to leave the house with one of the millitants who, wishing to surrender, had spoken on the phone to Israeli police, according to Porat, and been told to undress and leave the house with her.[53] He did so, using Porat as a human shield, and was arrested; Porat then informed Israeli police of the number of hostages and hostage-takers left in the house.[26][52][53] The millitants unsuccessfully demanded safe passage from the Israeli army and police in order to return to the Gaza Strip with the hostages.[26] In an ensuing gun battle, at least two hostages and one of the hostage-takers died, according to Dagan.[52]

As dusk fell on October 7, an argument broke out between the SWAT commander and division commander General Barak Hiram, according to The New York Times; the SWAT commander believed more hostage-takers might surrender, but Hiram wanted the situation resolved by nightfall.[52] After Hamas militants in the house fired a rocket-propelled grenade, Hiram ordered a tank commander to breach the house, "even at the cost of civilian casualties", and the tank fired two shells.[52][54] Dagan said her husband was killed when shrapnel from the second of these shells entered his neck, severing an artery.[52] Only two of the 14 hostages, Porat and Dagan, survived the crossfire and shelling.[52][26] How many hostages died as a result of tank fire is unclear.[54]

The Times report led to a public debate in Israel on the appropriateness of General Hiram's conduct.[54] In January 2024, relatives of the victims delivered a letter to the military in which they said that "according to the evidence, the shooting of the tank was fatal and killed many hostages in addition to the terrorists" and demanded a "comprehensive and transparent probe into the decisions and actions that led to this tragic outcome".[26][27][28] The families also prevented the demolition of the house in question, to enable an investigation to take place.[28] Haaretz asked the IDF in an editorial to disclose whether or not the decision to fire on the house was an application of Israel's controversial Hannibal Directive.[55]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Shaulov, Roni; Zitun, Yoav (18 October 2023). "Charred remains of mother, son recovered 11 days after Hamas massacre". Ynet. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. ^ https://people.com/israeli-family-of-10-kidnapped-by-hamas-exclusive-8358203 Archived 17 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Video shows apparent death of Israeli hostages in Hamas custody". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  4. ^ "זעזוע בדרום: מעל 100 גופות נמצאו בקיבוץ בארי". Srugim (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  5. ^ זיתון, יואב (9 October 2023). ""נלחמנו עם חצי כוח עד שנגמרו הכדורים": הקרבות ההירואיים של יחידת שלדג". Ynet. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023 – via www.ynet.co.il.
  6. ^ a b Lidor, Canaan (10 October 2023). "Testimonies from Be'eri massacre expose deep trauma predating Israel's creation". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. ^ Mandell, Andrea (16 October 2023). "Nightmare Phone Call Reveals Israeli Family of 10 Kidnapped by Hamas: 'Survival, That's Where We Are' (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Israel kills three Hamas commanders, one who took part in massacre". The Jerusalem Post. 24 October 2023. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b Kierszenbaum, Quique (11 October 2023). "'It was a pogrom': Be'eri survivors on the horrific attack by Hamas terrorists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  10. ^ Macias, Amanda; Meredith, Sam; Iordache, Ruxandra. "Israel-Hamas war live updates: 22 U.S. citizens confirmed dead; Israel to form emergency government". CNBC. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e Lidor, Canaan (8 October 2023). "Kibbutz Be'eri bloodbath reminds Israelis of fears and fortitude from 1948". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Canadian Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver, feared to be held hostage, confirmed killed in Hamas attacks". CBC News. 13 November 2023. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Israel social security data reveals true picture of Oct 7 deaths". 15 December 2023.
  14. ^ "עדויות תושבי העוטף ממתקפת הפתע על ישראל: «טובחים כאן בתינוקות»". Israel Hayom (in Hebrew). 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  15. ^ "המספרים נחשפים: נרצחו 13 ילדים, 31 נערים ו-25 מעל גיל 80 מתחילת המלחמה - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 15 November 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  16. ^ "ynet - מלחמת 7 באוקטובר: פרטי החללים והנרצחים". ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  17. ^ Tzuri, Matan; Green Shaulov, Roni; Kutub, Adam (9 October 2023). "'After a minute, my friend was murdered in front of me'". Ynet. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Hamas Leaves Trail of Terror in Israel". The New York Times. 10 October 2023. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  19. ^ Hutchinson, Bill (13 October 2023). "Israel's 'Ground Zero:' The Be'eri Kibbutz was among the bloodiest scenes of the Hamas attack". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  20. ^ ToI Staff (2 November 2023). "Hundreds of soldiers waited outside Be'eri with terrorists still inside, survivor says". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Verbatim report of proceedings - The despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, Israel's right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law and the humanitarian situation in Gaza (debate) - Wednesday, 18 October 2023". www.europarl.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  22. ^ "'Isis-level savagery' by Hamas killed 11 Americans, says US". BBC News. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  23. ^ a b c d "Hamas Committed Documented Atrocities. But a Few False Stories Feed the Deniers". Haaretz. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  24. ^ Federman, Josef; Adwan, Issam (7 October 2023). "Hamas says it is holding dozens of Israeli soldiers captured in surprise incursion". Jerusalem: AP News. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023. Hagari said militants were holding hostages in standoffs in two towns, Beeri and Ofakim, which is 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza border.
  25. ^ "CCTV Shows Hamas Militants' Attack on Kibbutz Be'eri". www.wsj.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Liza Rozovsky (6 January 2024), "Families of Israelis Killed in Be'eri Home Hit by IDF Tank on October 7 Demand Probe", Haaretz, retrieved 6 January 2024, [...] Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram said he had ordered a tank commander to fire on the home of Kibbutz Be'eri resident Pesi Cohen, in which Israeli civilians and many terrorists were holed up, 'even at the cost of civilian casualties.' [...] families of the killed Israelis demanded 'a comprehensive and transparent probe into the decisions and actions that led to this tragic outcome. [...]'
  27. ^ a b Staff (6 January 2024). "Families of 13 people killed in October 7 Kibbutz Be'eri firefight demand probe". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  28. ^ a b c Frankel, Julia; Bernstein, Alon (11 January 2024). "Friendly fire may have killed their relatives on Oct. 7. These Israeli families want answers now". AP News. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  29. ^ Rabin, Roni Caryn (10 October 2023). "Peace Activists Are Among the Israelis Missing and Killed". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  30. ^ Reed, John; Andringa, Peter; Clark, Dan; Joiner, Sam (12 October 2023). "Seventeen hours of terror: how Hamas invaded one Israeli community". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023.
  31. ^ الانترنت, الحرية-مجلة التقدميين العرب على. "khilal bayan laha qabl qalilin.. katayib almuqawamat alwatania (quaat alshahid eumar alqasuma) aljanah aleaskarii liljabhat aldiymuqratia" خلال بيان لها قبل قليل.. كتائب المقاومة الوطنية (قوات الشهيد عمر القاسم) الجناح العسكري للجبهة الديمقراطية [During a statement a short while ago...the National Resistance Brigades (Forces of the Martyr Omar Al-Qasim), the military wing of the Democratic Front] (in Arabic). مجلة التقدميين العرب على الانترنت. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  32. ^ "Israel's military says it fully controls communities on Gaza border". BBC News. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  33. ^ Tzuri, Matan (12 October 2023). "Untrained, lacking proper arms, local security teams defended their Gaza border homes". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  34. ^ Hadas Gold (9 October 2023). "Festivalgoers, children, soldiers: What we know about the people captured by Hamas". CNN. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  35. ^ Israel, David (9 October 2023). "70 Terrorists Infiltrated Kibbutz Be'eri Overnight, IDF Repelling 7 New Penetrations". The Jewish Press. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  36. ^ a b c Davies, Alys (7 October 2023). "What we know about Israeli hostages taken by Hamas". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  37. ^ Tzuri, Matan (7 October 2023). "Hostages in Be'eri dining hall freed". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  38. ^ a b c Cuddy, Alice (13 October 2023). "Hamas attack on Israel kibbutz Be'eri captured by mothers' WhatsApp group". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  39. ^ TOI Staff (31 October 2023). "Yona, Ohad, Mila Cohen, 73, 43, 9 months: Three generations slain". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  40. ^ "World Holds Its Breath As Israeli Assault Into Gaza Appears Imminent (Updated)". The Drive. 14 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023. Additionally, there remains questions about what happened to an Israeli Air Force CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter seen burning near the border with Gaza. Reporting suggests the heavy lift helicopter, known locally as the "Yas'ur", was hit by enemy fire and made an emergency landing before coming under anti-tank guided missile fire on the ground. Exact details of the downing remain unconfirmed, however.
  41. ^ Beaumont, Peter (2 November 2023). "Israeli tank commander hailed as hero after Hamas attack is killed in Gaza". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  42. ^ Radice, Orlando (7 October 2023). "Horrifying footage shows gunmen on kibbutz hunting for Israelis". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  43. ^ Murphy, Paul; Gianluca, Gianluca; Magramo, Kathleen (9 October 2023). "Civilian hostages in Hamas custody killed in Be'eri near Gaza border, CNN". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  44. ^ "Forensic team identifies body of 12-year-old Liel Hatzroni from Kibbutz Be'eri". i24news. 19 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  45. ^ Tzuri, Matan; Shaulov, Roni Green; Kutub, Adam (9 October 2023). "'After a minute, my friend was murdered in front of me'". Ynet. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  46. ^ Ramsay, Stuart. "Israel-Gaza war: Recovered bodies show 'bloodthirsty' gunmen 'took time over torture' - and that Hamas has changed". Sky News. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  47. ^ Rozovsky, Liza; Breiner, Josh (21 January 2024). "Israeli Army Officer Makes Incorrect Claims on Oct. 7 Massacre; IDF: 'We'll Set the Record Straight'". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024. The officer, Lt. Col. Guy Basson, deputy commander of the Kfir Brigade, claimed that eight infants were murdered in the communal nursery, and that an Auschwitz survivor called Genia was also murdered. These incidents described in the interview, which aired on Saturday night, never happened.
  48. ^ "Israel Gaza: Hamas raped and mutilated women on 7 October, BBC hears". 5 December 2023. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  49. ^ "At least 100 killed on Kibbutz Be'eri alone — emergency group". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  50. ^ חסון, ניר (20 October 2023). ""בקיבוצי העוטף מנסים להסתכל קדימה: "המטרה מול עיניי — לחזור הביתה". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  51. ^ "IDF says it killed commanders of Hamas battalion that carried out Be'eri massacre". Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  52. ^ a b c d e f g Patrick Kingsley, Aaron Boxerman, Natan Odenheimer, Ronen Bergman, Marco Hernandez (22 December 2023), "The Day Hamas Came", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 6 January 2024, As the dusk approached, the SWAT commander and General Hiram began to argue. The SWAT commander thought more kidnappers might surrender. The general wanted the situation resolved by nightfall. Minutes later, the militants launched a rocket-propelled grenade, according to the general and other witnesses who spoke to The Times. 'The negotiations are over,' General Hiram recalled telling the tank commander. 'Break in, even at the cost of civilian casualties.' The tank fired two light shells at the house. Shrapnel from the second shell hit Mr. Dagan in the neck, severing an artery and killing him, his wife said. During the melee, the kidnappers were also killed. Only two of the 14 hostages — Ms. Dagan and Ms. Porat — survived.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  53. ^ a b Hear woman's account of her capture by Hamas and escape | CNN, 24 October 2023, retrieved 20 January 2024
  54. ^ a b c Aaron Boxerman, Natan Odenheimer, Ronen Bergman (27 December 2023), "A General's Account of Oct. 7 Battle for Be'eri Stirs Debate in Israel", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 6 January 2024, ... the Israeli commander who led the fight detailed how he had authorized tank fire to end what was already an hourslong standoff — 'even at the cost of civilian casualties.' Those remarks have been picked up by the Israeli news media and prompted some public debate about the conduct of the commander, Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram. Only two out of the 14 hostages in the house survived that day; it was not clear how many died by tank fire.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  55. ^ "The IDF Must Investigate the Kibbutz Be'eri Tank Fire Incident – Right Now". Haaretz. Retrieved 8 January 2024.

Notes

^ Note a: Note changes in later archive versions of the article: 28 Oct., 31 Oct.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Be'eri massacre.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Be%27eri_massacre&oldid=1198560864"