Displaced Israeli Survivors of Hamas Massacre Adjust to Life in Dead Sea Hotel Refuge

Evacuees grapple with loss after Hamas attack kills over 100 community members and deal with uncertain future amid scarcity of accommodation in Israel and potential ground invasion into Gaza.

• More than two weeks after the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, most of the survivors have been relocated to an upscale hotel turned into a refugee camp near the Dead Sea.
• Survivors follow a daily routine involving attending multiple funerals and waiting for updates on the list of the missing and the dead.
• The Be’eri refugees are among the more than 50,000 people evacuated from Israel’s south, while some struggling with the reality of their loss in spite of the hotel comforts.
• Refugees not only grapple with the possibility of a never returning home, as former residents vow not to return unless Hamas is toppled, but also face the potential shortage of accommodation as space in Israel’s hotels becomes scarce.
• Local authorities and volunteers have repurposed parts of the hotel to provide makeshift classes, mental first aid, and other support to the affected individuals and families, in attempt to help them cope with the trauma.

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