Driving south on Route 232, known as ‘The Bloody Road’ since the attacks on October 7, 2023, we passed signs pointing in the direction of kibbutzim, towns and cities, which became infamous in the aftermath of the war. Alumim, Saad, Kfar Aza, Netivot, Kerem Shalom. Then we arrived, Kibbutz Be’eri.

I had been to the ‘Otef’  (Gaza Envelope) several times since Simchat Torah, alone and with organized tours, but at those times, Be’eri was not allowing visitors to enter. As they prepare to destroy the remains of the ravaged neighborhoods, in order to rebuild, they have started to allow visits by organized groups, so that the world can see, first hand, just a small piece of what happened there that day.

Leading the tour was N. a company commander of the paratroopers who found himself called from the final week of training his company of 120 brand new soldiers, most of whom were about 18 years old and had never seen combat. They were based at the Dead Sea the morning of the 7th, but he answered a call from another officer who simply said, ‘we are at war in the south, prepare your soldiers and come’. N. instructed his soldiers to prepare their gear, and called for transport. He had them each send a text message to their families (who assumed they were ‘training’ in the area of the Dead Sea) that they would be unavailable for a while, and then N. collected their phones. He needed them focused on the mission, even though at this time, he himself still did not know what the mission actually was. Waiting for transportation for his 120 soldiers, N. set off in his vehicle with a small force of soldiers, while the rest waited with his Deputy for transport to the South.  The drive which should have taken 1 1/2 hours, took him 20 minutes as he hurried to the area, trying to get a sit-rep the entire way, but there was no information to be had. As his soldier drove, N opened ‘telegram’ which was the........

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