Post is no longer delivered to Nir Oz kibbutz; the lights in the mailroom are off, and the floor is gathering dust. Many of the metal boxes bearing each family's name now have new labels: red and black stickers that say killed or hostage. Natan Bahat, 82, knew nothing would be waiting for him, but half-heartedly checked his postbox anyway. Time stopped here on 7 October, he said.
At about 6.30am on Saturday 7 October 2023 the Jewish holy day of Shabbat and Simchat Torah, about 150 heavily armed Hamas fighters attacked Nir Oz from three directions, getting through Israel's defences by blowing up security cameras, automated weapons systems and motion detectors before mowing down the fence.
Per capita, the Nir Oz community suffered the most heartache, damage and bloodshed, in part because the overwhelmed Israeli army forgot about the kibbutz. Soldiers did not show up for hours, by which time all the Hamas fighters, and later waves of civil
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