Golan-Hogeg family
Three generations of one family lived in the kibbutz: Ayelet and Uri Epstein, their three children, Uri's parents and sister, Ayelet's sister and their families. During the attack, grandmother Bilha, uncle Ofir Libstein and son Nitzan, brother-in-law Uri Russo and son Netta, who jumped on a grenade to save his girlfriend, were murdered.
Bilha Epstein and granddaughter Netta Epstein
Click on the points on the timeline for a real-time tour. Clicking on the icons will display the event documentation.
The couple Ayelet and Uri Epstein wake up to the sirens, along with their 12-year-old daughter Alma, and they quickly run to the safe room. Their other daughter, Rona (19) is on a trip to the north of the country, and their son Netta (22) is with his partner Irene Shavit, in their apartment in the “Young Generation” neighborhood of the kibbutz.
Amos Epstein, Uri's father, who lives not far from them on the kibbutz, calls Uri and tells him that Bilha, Uri's mother, has fallen on the porch of their house and is unable to get up and reach the safe room. Ayelet runs to Amos and Bilha's home and finds her dead with a gunshot wound. Ayelet joins Amos, her father in law, in the safe room, informs him that Bilha has been murdered, and calls the family members to inform them of the murder. Uri and Ayelet call the emergency security officials of the kibbutz and senior army officers, but there is no answer at that time. Minutes before that, Uri Russo, deputy commander of Kfar Aza's security squad and the husband of Ayelet's sister, has left his home to defend the kibbutz. He and Tal Elon, the commander of the security squad, take guns from the armory and run to the area where terrorists have been reported to have been seen. In an encounter with a large force of terrorists, both are shot dead.
Uri receives a call from Aviv Libstein (22), the son of his sister Vered, and of Ofir Libstein, head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, who have left earlier to fight with the security squad. Aviv tells Uri that he has pinged his father's phone near Uri's house. A few minutes later, Aviv calls again and tells Uri that he can see the body of a terrorist outside Uri's house. The two decide to run together to the body and take the weapon from him, so that Aviv can protect his family in the safe room. The two leave their homes - which are next door to each other - Aviv takes the weapon and as he makes his way back, Uri asks him to check whether there is a name on the weapon. Aviv sees that the weapon says “Ofir Libstein”. They return to the body together, and discover that it is Ofir, who was killed by the terrorists.
Uri corresponds with his son Netta, who is at his home in the “Young Generation” neighborhood, along with his partner, Irene Shavit. For about two hours, the “Young Generation” neighborhood has been under the second wave of terrorist infiltration into the kibbutz, during which dozens of terrorists infiltrated through a hole in the gate that accesses the neighborhood. The terrorists go from house to house, kidnapping, shooting, burning, and looting each of the apartments in the neighborhood. Netta and Irene hear the voices in the neighborhood, until they hear the shattering of the window in their house and the terrorists enter. Netta writes his last message to his father: “Dad, they are here”
The terrorists infiltrate the home of Netta and Irene, open the door to the safe room and throw grenades. The third grenade is thrown at Irene. Netta shouts "grenade" and jumps on the grenade to save Irene's life. While he falls on the grenade, the terrorists fire a burst of shots at him. The fourth grenade causes a fire in the safe room and the terrorists leave the house. Irene sends a message to Uri, Netta's father: “He's dead.” Uri continues to support Irene by correspondence between them and she manages to extinguish the fire that broke out in the safe room. She hides behind Netta's body until she is later rescued by IDF forces.
Ayelet corresponded with Irene Shavit, Netta's partner, in an attempt to understand what Netta's condition is. “Is he breathing? “, she asks, and is informed of his death. A few minutes earlier, in the "Young Generation" neighborhood, a few houses from the home of Netta and Irene, terrorists have infiltrated the home of Nitzan Libstein, Netta's cousin. Around 12:15 p.m., he is shot in the leg while gripping the door handle of the safe room, preventing the terrorists from entering. A few hours later, after his phone runs out of battery, Nitzan Libstein dies of blood loss.
Ayelet leaves the house in order to reach the home of Netta and Irene. She misses a military vehicle that passes by her, but continues and runs towards the “Young Generation” neighborhood, where soldiers are still fighting the terrorists. The soldiers are surprised to see Ayelet and shout at her that she should return to her home immediately. Ayelet shouts back at the soldiers and asks them to come to Netta's apartment and rescue Irene. A few moments later, Ayelet realizes that this is an impossible task and she returns to the safe room at Amos' house.
Ayelet and Amos stay together in the safe room without electricity and without cell phone reception for about eight hours, in pain and crying. Ayelet records in her diary what she is going through during these hours. In part, she writes: “We are being massacred.” At the same time, fierce fighting is underway outside their home. Ayelet described hearing “a long whistling sound and then a deafening boom.” At the same time, Uri's phone runs out of battery and he exits the safe room to fetch a portable charger and discovers that his house is filled with thick smoke. He looks out the window and sees that the house of the neighbors, the Itamari family, is completely burnt down. In retrospect, it will be revealed that members of the Itamari family were murdered in their home.
Ayelet and Amos hear shouting in Arabic in the gazebo outside their house and massive gunfire on the house. Ayelet and Amos hold hands and are silent, so that they will not be heard. They sit in silence until the noise stops and the terrorists leave.
During the night, the terrorists shoot at Amos' house and break windows. Ayelet and Amos hide in silence in the safe room. All through the night and into the morning hours, sounds of fierce fighting are heard non-stop.
IDF soldiers rescue Amos and Ayelet and they are transported to the shop of the gas station at the entrance to the kibbutz. Ayelet shouts at the soldiers to rescue Uri and Alma who remained in the safe room of their home. About two hours later Vered, Uri's sister, reports to him that she and her family have been rescued, and that a military vehicle is waiting at a certain point in the kibbutz. Uri decides to go out with Alma in the direction of the vehicle. As in the background the fighting continues, Uri and Alma run towards the point and find the armored vehicle and the soldiers. As the two board the vehicle, Uri asks the soldiers to extract more families along with them. He insists on reaching more homes, calling families waiting to be rescued and leading the soldiers to them. This is how the Efrat and Halperin families are rescued, until there is no room left in the armored vehicle and everyone rides together to the gas station.
Netta Epstein
Ofir Libstein
Bilha Epstein
המתחם האינטראקטיבי של מפת העוטף ב-7 באוקטובר 2023 נועד לתעד ולהנציח את האירועים שהתרחשו ביישובי עוטף עזה באמצעות תיעודים מזמן אמת, דקה אחר דקה.
הפרויקט בהליכי בנייה ותחקיר, בשלבים הבאים יתווספו נקודות רבות על המפה, לרבות בסיסי צה”ל, הרחבת אזורי המסיבות והדרכים המובילות לעוטף.
לפרטים נוספים וליצירת קשר לחצו כאן
אזהרה: התוכן מכיל תיאורים ותיעודים קשים לצפייה