The demolition of buildings in Kibbutz Kissufim began on Monday, nearly a year after the October 7 massacre. Over the coming months, around 24 structures damaged by the Hamas attacks are set to be demolished and rebuilt.
The first to go was the "Artists' House," which had also served as a second home for 86-year-old Shlomo Mansour, the oldest hostage still being held in Gaza, with no sign of life from him since the abduction.
The Artists' House was located in a building that once served as the kibbutz's children's home, where local artists from Kissufim created and displayed their work. Tal Shaul, a kibbutz native who left and later returned to help with the rebuilding efforts, is overseeing the demolition and reconstruction process.
"This was our children's house. There are so many memories here. Seeing the building come down takes me back to what I saw on October 12, when I first returned after the massacre," he said.
"It’s incredibly emotional, but at the same time, there’s an element of renewal," Shaul added. "As painful as it is, there's also a lot of hope in this. That’s what matters. We’re going to rebuild a new educational center on these ruins. Today marks the beginning of our recovery."
Shaul also leads the "Odem" program at the Defense Ministry, which trains systems engineers for Israel’s defense industry.
Kibbutz Kissufim
Alongside the reconstruction efforts, 78 families from the kibbutz community were resettled Sunday in the town of Omer as part of a temporary housing plan developed by the Tkumah Directorate. New housing units were built for the families, along with seven public buildings, including kindergartens, offices and a playground. The cost of building the Kissufim neighborhood is estimated at over 140 million shekels.
On October 7, Hamas terrorists breached the gates of Kibbutz Kissufim, killing 18 residents. The kibbutz's rapid response team engaged in heroic battles with over 70 terrorists. Mansour, one of the kibbutz’s artists, was kidnapped after being handcuffed. His wife, Mazal, survived, and witnesses reported that Mansour was taken from their home after being restrained.
Two weeks ago, some members of Kibbutz Be’eri also moved into temporary housing after a new neighborhood was constructed for them at Kibbutz Hatzerim near Be'er Sheva. The first to move were families with children, ahead of the new school year, which began earlier this month.