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A handful of Israeli soldiers rest on a sofa in Kfar Aza, behind a heavy machinegun pointed at the Gaza Strip, only a couple of kilometres away from what was once a peaceful farming community in southern Israel.
An extremely loud bang goes off nearby as yet another Israeli artillery round heads towards the devastated Palestinian enclave. Fighter jets roar and drones hover overhead.
More bangs follow at regular intervals as smoke rises above Gaza, where more than 10,500 people have been killed – including 4,324 children – in a month of heavy Israeli bombardment.
“This is war,” one soldier says with a laugh, speaking with what sounds like a Spanish accent.
Kfar Aza was home to about 750 people until October 7, when militants from Gaza launched deadly cross-border raids that left more than 1,400 dead, and took an estimated 240 hostages.
Kfar Aza is now an army base of sorts, filled with soldiers, guns and military vehicles.
The machinegun position overlooks the broken gate where the attackers from Gaza entered. It was this part of the kibbutz, nearest to Gaza, that was hit the hardest.
Burnt cars, overturned washing machines and abandoned motorcycles lie outside charred homes.
A soldier says it is not clear whether the motorcycles belonged to the residents or if they were used by the attackers.
In some houses, the shoe racks are still full – perhaps a sign of how little people took when they left, or that the occupants were no longer alive.
Israeli army Maj Doran Spielman said about 140 people were killed in Kfar Aza and about 100 are still missing.
It is not clear whether the missing are among the hostages being held by Hamas, the militant group that launched the October 7 attacks. Hamas has refused to release a full list of its captives.
Israel says its military campaign in Gaza has two main objectives: destroying the capabilities of Hamas and rescuing the hostages.
“We're working day and night to try to find every possible way to get them home,” Maj Spielman said.
“Part of it is being there on the ground and collecting intelligence, of which we've done a lot, including from the woman who was rescued.”
He was referring to the soldier Ori Megidish, whose rescue from Hamas captivity was announced on October 30.
“Now we are taking over terror compound by terror compound in Gaza, and we've uncovered a lot of intelligence, maps, information, data. We're also interrogating the fighters, one of whom gave himself up right from here. It's like piecing together a puzzle,” he told The National.
Almost none of Kfar Aza's residents have returned since the attack, although some have visited to collect belongings.
One of them is Maor Moravia, 37, who has lived in Kfar Aza for five years.
Although the sound of rockets and warning sirens is not new for a community only minutes from Gaza, Mr Moravia said he knew October 7 was different when he heard gunshots.
He showed footage on his phone from that day, when he and his family hid in their home's safe room for 20 hours.
“We locked all the doors, all the windows. It was very hot; we didn't turn on the air conditioning, we wanted to be silent. We turned off the lights, the TV.
“There was no food or water, we just sat there waiting for whatever was coming. They came to our street and started knocking on the windows to hear if anyone screams or if there are noises.”
Israeli forces arrived at 5pm but it was 2am before Mr Moravia's family was taken to safety.
“I come here every now and then,” he said. “We are hoping to come back here, we want to come back to rebuild our community. We need our government to finish what they are doing [in Gaza]. We can't let this happen again, we need to be secure.”
Mr Moravia said he used to feel sympathy for civilians in Gaza, which has been under a strict Israeli blockade since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007, but not since watching videos that he said showed Gazans celebrating the October 7 attacks.
Maj Spielman expects other residents also want to return, but that most of them will not.
“Some of them, their houses are relatively intact; some of them have business here and they feel like they want to keep it going,” he said.
“But it's literally a handful of people who are here right now,” he added, saying that some families had come back to collect things including toothbrushes.
“Most families have not come back and I don't think most of them will come back while it is like this, it's too painful for them. They are already psychologically … trauma does not even begin to explain.”
Sole survivors
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- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
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Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
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