As Israel has reached the 600-day mark since the horrors of October 7 and the advent of Israel's most notable conflict in decades, many residents of communities near the Gaza border who were evacuated from their homes have yet to return.
Ziv Matzliach, chairman of the Homeward forum and a resident of Kfar Aza who was evacuated at the start of the war, commented on data released by the Tekuma Directorate. According to the Directorate, 92% of evacuees have returned to their homes. However, Matzliach emphasized that this figure excludes the 13 communities directly adjacent to the Gaza border, which the government has classified as "red communities" due to the severe physical and human damage they suffered on October 7, including his hometown. "It seems like less attention is being paid to us," he said.
Matzliach, who is currently living in Kibbutz Ruhama in the Sha’ar HaNegev region, addressed the data. "I’m here with 200 other families from Kfar Aza who are still unable to return. 92% have returned? Our communities remain restricted due to security concerns. Across the entire border area, only 25% of residents have returned, even though the army prohibits it. That’s the reality here," he said.
"I’m not disputing the Tekuma Directorate’s data, but I want to draw attention to our communities. All of them face both security and physical barriers. Reconstruction has only just begun, and the homes are expected to be rebuilt over the next year or two. We are still living in a war zone," he clarified.
"More importantly, the data we’ve collected from our own communities shows that 30% of residents have not yet returned to work," he added. "We can talk endlessly about physical reconstruction, but we must begin to address the people. If so many are still not employed, it means the state has not done enough to help them get back on their feet. Our survey clearly indicates that most families are struggling financially due to significant expenses. Our communities have specific needs that are not being met, such as the management of hybrid communities."
Matzliach stressed that: "These issues need to be addressed in a more organized and aggressive manner to ensure significant demographic growth in our communities. Ultimately, the true victory isn’t measured by how many terrorists we kill in Gaza or how much territory we conquer, but by whether our kidnapped soldiers and civilians come home and whether our communities thrive and grow. For that to happen, the red communities need targeted and much stronger support than what is currently being provided. Otherwise, we can speak in terms of big numbers, but in reality, our communities still won’t have truly returned home."
Amir Tibon, the son of retired Major General Noam Tibon, was evacuated from Kibbutz Nahal Oz to Mishmar HaEmek after the October 7 massacre. "I agree with every word Ziv said. He is absolutely right. Unlike communities three or four kilometers from the border, most of which—aside from Sderot and Ofakim, where the circumstances are different—suffered only minor damage, the border communities face a much greater challenge," he said.
"The primary challenge for the Tekuma Directorate has always been Sderot, Ofakim and the communities directly adjacent to the border fence, where the most significant damage occurred," he added. "Yet they boast statistics like 92% while ignoring the reality in border communities like Nahal Oz, Kfar Aza and Be’eri, where the damage was the most severe, and the numbers are nowhere near that. In Nahal Oz, for example, only about 10% to 15% of residents have returned to the kibbutz."
This figure is even lower than the average for the border communities, which stands at less than 25%.
"I even question the 25% figure because it depends on which community you’re talking about," Tibon says. "Every family that returns is wonderful and should be supported, but most families, especially those with young children, are still thinking about the ongoing war. The intensity of the conflict is felt differently near the border. If in Ashdod the explosions shake homes, imagine what it feels like quarter mile from the border, which is the distance to Nahal Oz. We don’t have answers from the government about how long this will last, what the timeline is, or what it means for us."
Tibon criticized visits by government officials. "These visits are great for their public relations. They know how to do the rounds, shed tears, and talk about heroism and Zionism. But when it’s time to provide answers and, especially, funding, we hear much less from them. At the end of the day, there’s a strong feeling that beyond words, we’re still waiting for concrete answers and budgets," he said.
Tibon also highlighted the impact of the hostage situation on the community.
"We’ve been waiting almost 600 days for our friend Omri Miran to return to his family: his wife Lishi, and his daughters Roni and Alma. Matan Angrest defended our kibbutz with his body, along with Itay Chen and Daniel Peretz, who were also kidnapped from the same tank. Resolving the hostage issue will have a dramatic effect on the recovery of the communities. Nothing would strengthen the communities more than a hostage deal. It would provide the greatest morale boost."
Governmental response to the criticism
Minister Zeev Elkin, who oversees the Tekuma Directorate, said on Tuesday: "The vast majority of communities could have returned a year ago, and their return rates are very high. In many communities, the population is now larger than it was on October 7, including places like Sderot. Even if not everyone has returned, many new residents have joined. For some communities, the defense establishment still does not allow a return due to security concerns, so it’s not a question of return rates.
"In terms of reconstruction timelines, most communities were expected to return by the summer, and the rehabilitation has progressed to the point where it is now possible to return. The question lies with the military—when will the security restrictions be lifted? In communities where the damage was much greater, such as Be’eri, Kfar Aza, and Nir Oz, the rebuilding process was planned to take at least a year and a half. We’ve reached agreements with all the communities, including Nir Oz, where the process was significantly delayed. I prioritized this issue significantly when I took office."
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Meanwhile, Merav Cohen, who is temporarily living in Netivot, noted that her kibbutz, Ein HaShlosha, is still classified as a closed military zone. "Anyone who returns does so against orders and the law," she said. "Wars are fought by soldiers, not civilians, and I strongly oppose the idea of returning to a place unsafe for adults, let alone children."
Cohen described the ongoing uncertainty: "For 600 days, we’ve had no stability or certainty. We’ve paid a heavy price, and we deserve at least the minimum—stability and clarity about our future."