The wreck, known as Israel’s “car wall,” was seized by militants during an attack that killed more than 1,200 people. The site has since become a symbol of sanctuary and memory for those who lost their lives in this unprecedented attack.
At dawn that day, about 4,000 Hamas-led attackers crossed the barrier from Gaza and rampaged through southern Israel. Among their targets was the Nova music festival, where hundreds of young people were killed when militants descended on the crowd using paramotors. Questions about how the attackers breached Israel’s defenses and operated for hours before the army intervened continue to haunt survivors and families of the victims.
In Kibbutz Beli, just 2 km from the Gaza border, 370 armed men stormed the community, killing 102 residents, including babies and elderly people. Monette, who hid in a safe room for 36 hours, recalled the fear and confusion of that day. Two years later, she struggles to understand why help took so long to arrive, as the scars of October 7 remain deeply embedded in Israel’s collective memory.