Here Lived
Benny and Yamit Avital. A family – a couple in their 40s and their three children: Sa’ar (10), Adi (8), and Yoav (5).
Before October 7, 2023, life on the kibbutz was quiet, a true paradise. A simple life filled with nature and fields. A life in which we accepted those who were different without judgment. We lived with complete security and faith that both sides wished to live peacefully and quietly. Bicycles were our primary means of transportation, which we used to get from place to place. Community gatherings played a significant role in creating a close-knit and pleasant community, and the spirit of volunteering was at its peak.
October 7th
On October 6, 2023, the children slept outside, in the Sukkah. A friend of Sa’ar’s joined the exciting sleepover, and there was a sense of complete peace and safety even throughout the night. Yamit, the mother, went to Tel Aviv with friends, and Benny stayed behind to watch the children.
On October 7, 2023, the sirens sounded, and the children ran to the safe room. There they remained throughout the endless hours of terror. Benny, a member of the kibbutz’s first response squad, was notified that terrorists dressed in IDF uniforms had infiltrated the kibbutz. However, he was unable to leave; he had to stay at home to protect the children. Benny kept a close eye on the response squad’s text messages and realized the situation was deteriorating. At the same time, Yamit was monitoring the various kibbutz WhatsApp groups, trying to call for security forces to enter the kibbutz. At 9:15 a.m., Nukhba terrorists broke into the house while Benny and the children were inside the safe room. Unfortunately, it was impossible to lock the safe room door, so Benny had to fight with all his might to keep it closed. The Nukhba terrorists ate, drank, used the restroom, and tried to break down the door. After forty minutes, the terrorists left the house. A breath of relief. By this time, cellular reception was cut off and Yamit had no way of obtaining information about her family’s safety. At 10:00 a.m., a second group infiltrated our home and stayed for two hours, trying to break down the door while Benny fought to hold the handle. They banged on the door, shouting in Arabic and Hebrew, “happy holidays” and “open up,” while the children sat petrified behind the closet, Sa’ar and his friend protecting Adi and Yoav, hugging them and trying to calm them down. The terrorists destroyed the house, looted it entirely, and prepared to set the house on fire, stacking against the safe room door tin cans, dolls, books, and papers to be used as kindling. In the background, we heard their joy and laughter as they smoked cigarettes, ate, and clearly enjoyed themselves.
At 12:00 p.m., Benny heard one of the terrorists say “Yalla, Yalla,” and they left the house. Reception returned, and Benny sent a message to Yamit, “We survived, the kids were heroes.” At 12:40 p.m., Adi Negev (our neighbor) arrived at our house and announced that there were no terrorists left inside the house. Benny received a phone call from Eran Smilansky, stating that he needed help rescuing the Cunio family from their burning safe room. Adi stayed with the four children at the house, and Benny went out to rescue families and people around the kibbutz.
At 3:30 p.m., military forces evacuated the children to the command center, where they met the remaining members of the community and realized the immense scope of the disaster that had struck Kibbutz Nir Oz and its community.
At 12:00 a.m. (midnight), Benny was notified that his older brother, Gil Avital z”l, had fallen in battle with other first response squad members, between Moshav Yesha and Moshav Mivtahim.
On Sunday, October 8, 2023, Yamit met the family at the Lotan Junction on the Arava road, on their way to Eilat.
What Happened Since
The family lives now in Karme Gat with the Nir Oz community. Benny has returned to work as a project manager at Tnuva. Yamit works as a movement therapist with children in the education system and for an association supporting combat veterans with PTSD. Sa’ar, Adi, and Yoav are in school and participating in extracurricular activities. Adi attends gymnastics classes, Sa’ar is involved in triathlon training, and Yoav plays soccer. Through these activities and their gradual return to everyday routines, they are recovering alongside the trauma and continue to live, smile, and explore the world around them.
