7th of October -
We will begin our visit with a panoramic view of the Gaza Strip from Kobi Hill (Mitzpe Kobi), to better understand the strategic and geopolitical environment of the region.
Next, we will visit the Nova Festival memorial site, where we will take time to reflect in tribute to all the victims of the October 7th massacre.
We will stop at the Re'im shelter, where fighter Aner Shapira (of the Nahal Brigade) performed an act of incredible heroism by throwing seven grenades out of the bunker. The eighth unfortunately exploded, killing him instantly, but saving the lives of several people who had taken refuge with him.
Along the roads, and particularly Route 232, numerous shelters ("migonit") provided refuge for dozens of young people. In one of these bunkers, at the Re'im intersection, the young journalist Ayelet Arnin left a three-hour audio recording on her phone, a poignant testimony of the events. In this shelter, sixteen people lost their lives, four were taken hostage, and seven survived.
Stop in Tekouma: The Car Graveyard
Our journey continues to Tekouma, to the site commonly known as the "car graveyard." These piles of burnt-out scrap metal, stacked one on top of the other, embody the scale of the tragedy. This park contains approximately 1,200 wrecks (cars, motorcycles, ambulances, trucks) removed from Route 232, the Nova Festival site, and the surrounding areas.
Sderot: The Memorial at the Former Police Station and the Pillars of Eternity
We will conclude this tour in Sderot:
The Pillars of Eternity: Eighteen 11-meter-high pillars, created from the remains of the police station destroyed during the fighting, were meticulously erected in tribute to the 71 people who fell in Sderot that day.
The Visitor Center: It offers audio recordings and films of survivor testimonies to preserve the memory of these events.
