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“Overwhelming Tragedy in Israeli Kibbutz: 100+ Bodies Discovered After Hamas Attack

Following the conclusion of a violent 11-day armed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, a grim discovery has been made in the small kibbutz (collective community) located in northern Israel known as Beeri. More than 100 bodies have been discovered in the aftermath of the Hamas bombardment. The exact number of casualties is yet to be determined, as authorities are still in the process of recovering the bodies from the rubble. While the casualties include victims from both sides, several members of the kibbutz have been identified amongst the dead. Beeri is located just 7 kilometers from the border with the coastal Gaza Strip, from where Hamas launched more than 4,000 rockets into Israel during the recent conflict. The kibbutz was hit by at least a dozen missiles, and although more than 80 percent of Beeri’s residents managed to escape the barrage, some 1,200 people were trapped in their homes before a humanitarian truce was declared. The cluster of kibbutzim of which Beeri is part of has been founded in 1947, and today houses around 12,000 people. Since the propose of this region was to establish a secure buffer zone between Israel and the Gaza Strip, much of the population of Beeri is made up of people who have experienced multiple rounds of conflict over the years. Ironically, the very people who have the best understanding of the situation on the ground, were the ones hurt the most in this recent round of violence. The discovery of these bodies has received attention from prominent figures in Israeli politics and abroad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to the ‘victims of this terrible tragedy’ in a state memorial service, while President Joe Biden also expressed his condolences. The disruptive nature of this conflict has been deeply felt in Beeri, as part of the community’s physical infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. While the exact death toll from this tragedy is still unclear, the impact it has had on the collective kibbutz will be felt for years to come, adding to the already massive human losses of the last decade of conflict.