Erez
established
Regional Council
Population (Pre 7/10/2023)
Distance From The Gaza Border
Type Of Community
Economy
Kibbutz Erez is located near the “Erez Crossing,” the main crossing point between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Erez Crossing is named after Kibbutz Erez. The kibbutz founders were veterans of the Palmach, some of whom fought to liberate the Negev during the War of Independence. There is a memorial site on the kibbutz with a monument to ten of the founding members who fell in the War of Independence. Kibbutz Erez is named after the group who first established the kibbutz. Their group’s name was “Erez” and they were members of the United Kibbutz Movement. The word “Erez” in Hebrew means “cedar tree.”
In the center of the kibbutz, a mosaic floor was discovered depicting a man leading a tiger and a tigress nursing a cub. Judging by the pottery, floor style and coins found at the site, this was a wealthy house that was probably built in the fifth century CE and destroyed after the middle of the sixth century. Kibbutz Erez Honey is natural bee honey collected from diverse sources including wildflowers, citrus flowers, tamarisk, avocado and eucalyptus. The kibbutz apiary produces 30 tons of honey per year; other primary economic fields today include field crops, orchards, citrus groves, animal husbandry, and “Erez Thermoplastics Products.”
KKL-JNF and Kibbutz Erez
The Events of October 7, 2023
On Saturday morning, between 15 and 20 terrorists began to approach the gate of Kibbutz Erez. Members of the kibbutz’s emergency squad heard gunshots and recognized the terrorists traveling on Route 4 on their way to the kibbutz gate. The members of the emergency squad launched a pre-emptive attack from a distance of 150 – 200 meters from the terrorist squad that arrived in two vans loaded with terrorists. The emergency squad put up an impressive fight, but when they began to run out of ammunition, they were in danger of defeat. Or Hava, the military security coordinator for Kibbutz Erez, knew that the Israeli military would not arrive in time to rescue them. So, he contacted his friend, Yaniv Kastenbaum, the head of nearby Kibbutz Or HaNer and begged him to send reinforcements from his emergency squad. Kastenbaum agreed.
Together, the Kibbutz Erez emergency squad and members of Kibbutz Or HaNer’s emergency squad battled for approximately two hours to prevent the Hamas militants from infiltrating the kibbutz. During the exchange of fire, the terrorists used assault rifles, grenades and RPGs. The kibbutz forces killed three Hamas fighters, wounded others and forced the rest to retreat, thereby winning the battle. Sadly, one member of Kibbutz Erez’s standby squad, Amir Naim, was killed and another member was wounded.
