Survivor of Kibbutz Be’eri Massacre Recalls Terrifying Ordeal

israel - Nitzan Peled, a survivor of the Kibbutz Be’eri massacre by Hamas in Israel, shares her harrowing experience of hiding in a saferoom as terrorists went door to door shooting residents.

Nitzan Peled, aged 57, survived the horrifying massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri, Israel, after Hamas terrorists attacked her home. Her house became uninhabitable after part of it burned down, leaving it empty and gloomy. When the alarm sounded early one Saturday morning on October 7, Nitzan took refuge in the safe room, thinking it was a rocket attack, a common occurrence in the region.

As the rocket fire continued, she realized the situation was more serious than expected and warned her friends who were planning to visit for a picnic to stay away. Alone in the kibbutz, with her adult children elsewhere and her ex-husband and his family barricaded in their own home, Nitzan locked herself in the safe room designed to withstand bombings and rocket attacks.

She heard strangers speaking Arabic and rummaging through her home, causing her immense fear as she listened to reports of terrified residents being shot in their saferooms. Despite the terrifying situation, Nitzan remained silent as the terrorists tried to break into her safe room, until they eventually left without harming her.

Not knowing if it was safe to come out, Nitzan stayed hidden for hours, surviving on nothing but fear and uncertainty. The terrorists tried to set her house on fire, but only the bathroom was burned, ultimately saving her life. Tragically, 102 residents of Be’eri were killed that day, with 29 others abducted to Gaza, some of whom never returned.

Nitzan, among the few survivors, insists on remembering those still missing, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Tal Shoham, hoping they will be found alive. The days that followed the attack were chaotic, with local security forces and even the Israeli army facing heavy losses until they managed to drive out the terrorists from Be’eri.

Nitzan, her ex-husband, and their family survived and eventually returned to Be’eri, although many buildings were destroyed and the community devastated. Nitzan expresses her desire to rebuild her life in the kibbutz, seeking solace and trust in her fellow residents who stood by each other during the attack.

However, she knows true healing can only come when all the hostages return safely. Until then, she remains emotionally connected to her friends still held captive, longing for their safe return from Gaza.