| Kissufim massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel | |
| Native name | הטבח בכיסופים |
| Location | Kissufim, Southern District, Israel |
| Coordinates | 31°22′27″N 34°23′58″E / 31.37417°N 34.39944°E |
| Date | 7 October 2023 |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder, war crime |
| Perpetrator |  Hamas |
On 7 October 2023, a sudden assault was launched on Israel by Hamas militants originating from the Gaza Strip. They targeted Kissufim kibbutz located in the Southern District of Israel. As a result of this violent attack, at least eight kibbutz civilians and six Thai laborers were killed, and additionally at least four individuals were abducted and taken to Gaza.[1]
Background
Kibbutz Kissufim is located in the northwestern Negev desert, near the border with the Gaza Strip. It was established in 1951 by Zionist youth from the US and South America. Kissufim was meant to help secure Israel's southern border against Palestinian infiltrators. The kibbutz economy is based on dairy and poultry farming, citrus groves, and avocado orchards. The nearby Kissufim crossing into Gaza was the main route for traffic into the Gush Katif settlement bloc until Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.
On the morning of 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israeli targets and sent hundreds of militants to infiltrate Israeli communities and military facilities. Hamas militants clashed with security forces and reached civilian areas, where they killed and kidnapped many people. According to estimates, 162 Israelis were taken to the Gaza Strip, including women, the elderly and infants.[2]
Massacre
On 7 October 2023, at least 70 Hamas fighters entered Kibbutz Kissufim. They carried out a massacre in the kibbutz and murdered at least eight of its members, as well as six Thai workers.[1] Four kibbutz members were kidnapped, and the kibbutz buildings suffered heavy damage. The kibbutz security team fought back during the attack and four of its members were killed, including its leader. IDF troops eventually arrived and cleared the kibbutz.[3][4] On Saturday night, the kibbutz residents were evacuated to a hotel on the shores of the Dead Sea.[2][5]
On Tuesday, Reuven Heinik from Ashkelon, the kibbutz dairy farm manager, asked the army for permission to enter the kibbutz dairy farm in order to feed the cows who had not received food and water for about 60 hours. While at the milking parlor, a militant who was hiding at the location murdered him.[6][7]
One of the victims, Gina Semiatich, was a 90-year-old woman. she was forcibly taken and murdered by the militants. They dragged and shot her in the head in her living room.[1]
Repelling the militants and evacuating kibbutz residents
A platoon from the 51st Golani Battalion arrived at the kibbutz in order to repel the militants, and became engaged in a battle that lasted several hours. In the late afternoon hours, the soldiers began evacuating kibbutz residents who were trapped in their homes. Eight soldiers from the platoon were killed in the battle.[8]
See also
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- List of massacres during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Palestinian terrorism
- Moshe Dayan's eulogy for Ro'i Rothberg
- List of massacres in Israel
References
- ^ a b c Tzuri, Matan (12 October 2023). "Horrors unraveling: Hamas militants cold-bloodedly execute 90-year-old Israeli woman". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ a b Murphy, Zoeann; Gerberg, Jon; Berger, Miriam; Shefte, Whitney (13 October 2023). "Survivors of Hamas's rampage in Israel recount the horrors they saw". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Starr, Michael (10 November 2023). "War journal: Uncertainty and decay in Kissufim". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ Tzuri, Matan (12 October 2023). "Untrained, lacking proper arms, local security teams defended their Gaza border homes". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ ""אל תדאג, לאבא יש אקדח": תיעוד רגעי האימה מהממ"ד בכיסופים | חדשות 13". רשת 13 (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ קריסטל, מירב (10 October 2023). "רפתנים נרצחו ונחטפו: "חולבים עם מתנדבים, הייבוא יהיה אצבע בעין"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ "ראובן התעקש לחלוב את הפרות - ונהרג על ידי מחבל שהסתתר ברפת בכיסופים - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ "סיפור הגבורה של סער ז"ל: "אני הולך להציל את הבית"". סרוגים (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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This page was last edited on 31 December 2023, at 01:09