Kibbutz Nir Oz survivor wants to return home despite trauma

KIBBUTZ NIR OZ, Israel — Liat Atzili lost nearly everything on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists rampaged through this kibbutz less than two miles from the Gaza border fence.

Terrorists murdered her husband Aviv Atzili and their dog Revy. They ransacked and burned her home and carried her off as a hostage.

But Atzili said she’s determined to return home to the kibbutz — despite the devastation and its proximity to the Gaza Strip.

Thirty-eight residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz were killed and 75 were kidnapped in the attack. In all, one in four residents was either murdered or taken hostage — leaving the kibbutz as one of the most devastated communities following the terror attack.

“I believe that that it’s really, really important to bring this place back to life. I think that not doing that is sort of a victory for Hamas, and that coming back here and living here,” said the US-Israeli citizen, who has family ties to New Jersey.

“I owe that to myself, to Aviv, to the other people who died protecting the place… I think that that’s what they would have wanted. So I’m very committed to it.”

Atzili was freed after six weeks in captivity as part of the first hostage deal. She has said her captors treated her reasonably well.

The history teacher also has not lost her optimism that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be resolved.

“I think we don’t have a choice,” she said. “Really, there are 14 million people living here between the river and the sea, and nobody’s going anywhere, so we might as well find ways to live together.”

More than a year later, Atzili’s home and dozens of others in the community remain in ruins. Her own house was badly damaged by fire, but it remains repairable, she believes.

Before Kibbutz Nir Oz can rebuild, parts of it must first be destroyed — homes damaged beyond repair must be demolished so that new ones can be rebuilt.

The first round of demolition in the community was set to begin Thursday. Atzili figures that it will be at least a year before they can even start rebuilding.

Atzili and other displaced residents of the kibbutz have been living together about 40 miles north in Kiryat Gat. Some of the remaining survivors do not want to return to the beautiful small kibbutz, which is home to a botanical garden and several roaming peacocks.

They feel the tragedy can never be erased from the village regardless of the amount of new construction — but they’re not yet sure where their new home will be.

“There are a lot of people in the community who aren’t interested in coming back and sort of they haven’t been given a civil solution to where they’re going to be living in the long term,” Atzili said.

Residents of the kibbutz earlier had agreed not to take action on the demolitions and rebuilding until after the first anniversary of the attack.

There are some houses whose fates the kibbutz has not decided, including the home of the Siman Tov family — all of whom Hamas slaughtered as they huddled together in their safe room.

Their home remains standing, albeit with the tiled roof caving in. Inside, a few remnants remain of their lives there — including a metal menorah in a destroyed window sill and children’s toys in the front yard. The saferoom where they died still stands, although it is pitch black with smoke and fire damage.

“Something happened to everybody from the family. Yonatan and Tamar and were shot through the door of their safe room, and they died from their wounds,” she said. “Their three children and suffocated from inhaling smoke when the house was set on fire.”

The community is internally discussing whether to clean up and leave the home standing as a memorial to the devastating loss, while others do not want the stark reminder of the hell that took place a little more than a year ago, Atzili said.

“A lot of people know the story and want to see the house,” Atzili said.

For Atzili, it is important to return to the community that her husband died trying to protect. He was among three local responders who took on the swath of young terrorists who unleashed evil on the small kibbutz.

“I want to try to come back here and live here,” she told The Post. “But not everybody feels that way, especially people with younger children, which is very, very understandable.”