Kfar Aza

History

The kibbutz was initially established in August 1951 by Jewish immigrants and refugees from Egypt and the Moroccan city of Tangier who had received training in Ein Harod, Ayelet HaShahar and later Afikim. It was temporarily abandoned in 1955, and in January 1957 members of the Mita'arim gar'in moved in, marking the reestablishment of the kibbutz.

Before the 2023 massacre, the village had more than 700 residents, as well as a school and a synagogue.

October 7th massacre

Main article: Kfar Aza massacre

As part of a broad surprise attack on more than 20 towns and villages in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, approximately 70 Hamas militants infiltrated Kfar Aza, massacred residents, and left the village in ruins. Another Palestinian militant group, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also declared that its troops (organized as National Resistance Brigades) were fighting the IDF in Kfar Aza. The militants attacked the village from four directions. They destroyed the gate in the town's perimeter fence and indiscriminately killed residents, torched cars and homes, and forced entry to homes using rocket-propelled grenades.

The Israel Defense Forces retook control of the village by 11 October 2023. The corpses of about 20 Hamas attackers were found in the town, along with paragliders used by Hamas and unexploded hand grenades.

Economy

Kafrit Industries, a plastics manufacturer located in Kfar Aza, is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Kfar Aza was a pioneer in automated watering systems on farms.

References

References

1. "About Kfar Aza". Kfar Aza.
2. McNeil, Sam. (2023-10-10). "Israeli village near the Gaza border lies in ruin, filled with the bodies of residents and militants".
3. Bowen, Jeremy. (2023-10-10). "Inside Kfar Aza where Hamas militants killed families in their homes". [[BBC News]].
4. الانترنت, الحرية-مجلة التقدميين العرب على. "khilal bayan laha qabl qalilin.. katayib almuqawamat alwatania (quaat alshahid eumar alqasuma) aljanah aleaskarii liljabhat aldiymuqratia". مجلة التقدميين العرب على الانترنت.
5. Pfeffer, Anshel. (2023-10-12). "'Babies had their throats cut': how Kfar Aza kibbutz massacre unfolded". [[The Times]].
6. (11 October 2023). "Corpses and kids' bikes, burned homes and death in kibbutz where Hamas butchered 100".
7. Zedek, Nicole. (10 October 2023). "'It smells of death here': Surveying the atrocities committed by Hamas in Kfar Aza". [[i24News]].
8. [https://www.calcalist.co.il/ctechnews/article/48bokntnp Kfar Aza plastics company hoping to return to activity after murder of three team members by Hamas], [[Calcalist]]
9. [https://books.google.com/books?id=OIFCBsONIeEC&dq=kfar+aza+vegetable+crops&pg=PA62 Water-related Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture in Arid/semiarid Lands]