Netiv Ha’Asara
established
Regional Council
Population (Pre 7/10/2023)
Distance From The Gaza Border
Type Of Community
Economy
Moshav Netiv Ha’Asara was founded by former residents of the Israeli community of Netiv Ha’Asara in the Sinai Peninsula, which was evacuated as a result of the peace agreement with Egypt. The original moshav had been named for ten soldiers who were killed in a helicopter accident south of Rafah in 1971, and was originally named “Minyan”. After the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005, Netiv Ha’Asara became the closest community in Israel to the Gaza Strip, located 400 meters away from the edge of the Palestinian town of Beit Lahia. Being so close to the border, the moshav was often targeted by rockets and mortar shelling from Gaza. A tunnel built for the purpose of carrying out a terror attack was also detected in the fields around the farm.
Members of Moshav Netiv HaAsara initiated a public art project of decorating the nearby security wall dividing the Gaza Strip and Israel with messages of peace, creating a mosaic on the border wall. Known by the name Path to Peace, this project became a tourist attraction because of its goal of transforming this defensive wall into a message of peace. Path to Peace is a jointly developed project; thousands of people have actively participated in creating this arts-based social change project demonstrating a widespread yearning for peace.
KKL-JNF and Moshav Netiv HaAsara
The Events of October 7, 2023
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked Moshav Netiv HaAsara murdering approximately 20 people and wounding many others. The first terrorists penetrated the moshav using paragliders in a surprise attack. They went from house to house as they massacred and wounded moshav residents. Some of the murdered were members of the same family. Evacuees from Netiv Ha’asara recounted hiding in safe rooms for up to 12 hours, as terrorists rampaged in the moshav murdering residents.
Netiv Ha’Asara resident, Amnon Ziv, is the head of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. He managed to inform the communities of Zikim and Yad Mordechai about the infiltration. He is also part of the local civil defense team that killed one terrorist and caught five more. The army only arrived after 6 hours of fighting by the residents. “In my worst nightmares, I did not believe that we would face such a situation alone,” Ziv told the media. Another survivor said, “There was no air force, no soldiers, we were alone.”
“’It was the scariest day of my life,” said Stav Nitzan, 8, who hid for 12 hours in a safe room. “Mom woke me up and just said ‘run to the safe room,’ and my dad took out his weapon and guarded our front door. I needed to sit quietly so that the terrorists didn’t break into our safe room. Every time I wanted to step out, there was another rocket.” Finally, the family was rescued with the help of their neighbor Benny, “who is the bravest man in the world, because lots of terrorists chased after him and he managed to rescue us, together with other dads,” Stav said. “’I covered their eyes with my hand so they wouldn’t see the horrific sights of bodies scattered everywhere.” explains Maayan Dotan, speaking about the scene that she confronted when she and her children fled from their home. “A longtime peace activist, Roni Keidar was receiving cellphone messages from friends in Gaza who were worried about her during the attack as she took shelter in their safe room in Netiv Haasara…where they have lived for decades.” “’We will return for sure, and if necessary, I will fight with my own hands,” her husband, Ovadia Keidar, said. “We will restore the damage so that our children will have an example of how to protect the country without fear.”
