The Tekuma Directorate, tasked with rehabilitating Gaza border communities devastated on October 7, 2023, committed some NIS 7 billion ($1.97 billion) last year to rebuild southern Israel’s Gaza border area, according to a report it issued Monday to mark 500 days since Hamas’s brutal attack.

Of this sum, the directorate designated NIS 1.5 billion ($423 million) for physical reconstruction, with NIS 1.1 billion ($310 million) reserved for the 10 communities worst affected when Hamas terrorists overran the area, murdering some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducting 251 to the Gaza Strip.

The bulk of that NIS 1.1 billion was committed to the three worst affected communities, the report said, with around NIS 470 million ($132 million) allocated for Kibbutz Be’eri, NIS 230 million ($65 million) for Kibbutz Nir Oz, and NIS 200 million ($56 million) for Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

Additional funds for development and upgrades worth NIS 200 million were budgeted last year out of NIS 1.4 billion ($395 million) to be spent over five years. According to the report, this was used to improve infrastructure, community defense and public buildings.

Of around 64,000 residents, some 53,000 (83 percent of the total on October 6, 2023), were back home by the end of December 2024, the report said.

However, 13 communities remain housed in temporary accommodation, either for security reasons or because of severe damage. Nine are unable to go home for the same reasons.

Reconstruction is taking place in most of the communities, with the expectation that essential works will be completed by the end of this year.

But for Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, and Holit, completion will only come by the........

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