Holit massacre

Holit massacre
Part of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel
File:Hayim Katsman (far left) volunteering in the West Bank to reduce tension between settlers and Palestinians.jpeg Hayim Katsman (far left), a peace activist killed in the Hamas attack, seen here volunteering in the West Bank to ease tensions between settlers and Palestinians.
<div style="position: absolute; top: %; left: -3617%; height: 0; width: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> Holit Site of the attack in Israel
Location	Holit, Southern District, Israel
Coordinates	31°13′48″N 34°19′36″E
Date	7 October 2023 (2023-10-07)
Attack type	Mass shooting, mass murder, war crime
Deaths	15 (12 residents, 3 foreign workers)
Non-fatal injuries	8 (recovered), others unreported
Victims	Hostages: 7 (3 residents, 4 Bedouin employees) (5 released, 2 still held)
Assailant	Template:Country data Hamas Hamas (Al-Qassam Brigades)

On 7 October 2023, the Hamas Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Al-Qassam Brigades) attacked Holit, a kibbutz close to the border fence with the Gaza Strip, as part of a surprise attack on Israel. Twelve residents including one member of the security team were killed, Three foreign kibbutz employees, two from Nepal and a Moldavian, were also killed.

A resident, whose parents were killed, and a Thai employee, were injured. They recovered, with the employee subsequently returning to Thailand. Four members of a family were injured when a grenade failed to breach their safe room, but shrapnel entered through the space under the door.

Seven hostages were taken captive. Three were released on the day of the attack just before reaching the Gaza border fence. An additional two were released during the Israel-Hamas hostage exchange. Two hostages remain in captivity.

Tanks from the Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) Paran Brigade, and Shaldag Unit, only regained control of the kibbutz after midnight, clearing it of militants either by killing or chasing them away.

History of Kibbutz Holit

Main article: Holit

The kibbutz was established in 1977 in the Sinai and was transferred to the Negev as part of the 1982 Egypt–Israel peace treaty. In Template:Israel populations it had a population of Template:Israel populationsTemplate:Israel populations in 53 families.

Attack

Main article: List of engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

At 6:30 on the morning of 7 October, 20 militants from the Al-Qassam Brigades invaded the kibbutz and began a house by house attack on the residents. There was evidence that many residents were still asleep or eating breakfast when the attack began.

No organized defense

There is no indication of organized defense by the kibbutz. Some residents are noted as having weapons, but only two are reported as actively using these against the militants.

Shimon Azoulai, a resident, had a weapon and fought militants "where he could", but he said he did not have much impact. He survived the attack. Avi Korin, the only member of the safety team mentioned, did oppose the militants. He was initially thought to have been taken hostage, but was later declared to have died during the attack.

Michael Raitzin, a resident of the kibbutz, is the head of the criminal investigation unit of the police in the largest Bedouin city in Israel, Rahat, which is close to the kibbutz. He was on leave in the day of the attack, but heard from his colleagues at around 7:30 that an incursion had occurred, although at that time he did not realise the scale. Armed with his service pistol, he prepared to go and assist in Rahat. However when he got to his vehicle he observed 20 heavily armed militants. Realising he could not fight them with his handgun, he fired random shots to distract them, and managed to return to his house via an indirect route. He spent the rest of the day at the window of his house intending to protect his wife and children if necessary. His house was not attacked.

Pattern of the attacks

The general pattern of the attack was Hamas militants going from house to house shooting at the metal shutters of safe rooms to determine from noise from within whether they were occupied. They then attempted to breach occupied safe rooms using grenades and shooting. Where successful they killed the occupants. In several cases they returned to houses and set them alight to force any occupants to exit.

Eleven of the twelve deaths of residents occurred in this way as did at least one killing of a foreign employee. Six of the eight reported injuries also occurred collaterally from these attacks.

Survivors’ description of attacks

Survivors’s stories reflects the same pattern of militants breaking into their houses and safe rooms and killing or injuring the occupants:

• Rotem Mathias (16) describes his mother hiding him under a blanket and lying on top of him to protect him as they heard militants outside. He heard the militants break in with grenades and kill his parents
• Anat Dymshits and her father, Yosef Rozhansky (67), were hiding in her safe room with her mother, grandmother, her four children and their dog. They describe how militants tried to breach the room by throwing a grenade at the door. Although this was unsuccessful at gaining entry, shrapnel from the grenade went under the door injuring the three elderly adults — Rozhansky lost his leg — and one of her daughters.
• After militants broke into her home, Adi Vital-Kaploun was killed in front of her 4-year old and 4.5-month old sons who were taken captive.
• Avital Aladjem was hiding in her house with her neigbour Hayim Katsman. When militants broke into her house and shot them, Katsman protected her with his body. She was unharmed and taken captive with the Vital-Kaploun children.
• Husband and wife Nir and Adam and their children survived because Adam was able to hold the door shut against militants trying to gain entry.

Residents saving other residents

In at least three cases unarmed residents where able to save fellow residents.

Before the incident in their safe room Anat Dymshits and her father saw neighbors’ houses being lit on fire. Anat managed, together with three other residents, to save one neighbour from her burning house by pulling her out of a window. Anat then returned safely to her house. Her parents at the same down managed to dampen the area so the fires did not spread.

Shir Azoulai, is another resident whose safe room was not breached, although her house was ransacked twice. She managed to save a neighbour who had already succumbed to smoke fumes in the neighbour's safe room.

Naama and Gideon Kovani sheltering in their safe room heard that their next door neighbour had been killed and her daughter was hiding in a closet. Naama encouraged Gideon to save the child, which he managed to do without incident.

Casualties and hostages

Resident deaths and injuries

Twelve residents of the kibbutz, including a Holocaust survivor, a member of the kibbutz security team and Israelis with dual nationality from the United States, Canada and Argentina were killed.

At least eight members of the kibbutz or their visiting families were injured. They all recovered

Foreign employee deaths and injuries

Three foreign workers were killed during the attack. One Thai worker was injured, but recovered.

the list of deaths includes a Moldavian employee who was the carer for the Holocaust survivor. It also includes two unnamed Nepalese workers who were killed, but no further details are available for them.

Withawhat Kunwong, a Thai employee of the kibbutz reported being attacked in his hiding place by what he described as a Palestinian wearing civilian clothes and wielding a knife. He fought the person but was left for dead with severe throat wounds. Fellow employees found him and looked after him. He credits his survival to the bluntness of the knife which left him with jagged scars. He returned to his wife and children in Thailand once he recovered.

Mathias Family

Shachar (English name Deborah, but she went by her Hebrew name), a duel American-Israeli citizen and her husband Shlomi Mathias were peace activists living in Holit with their 16-year old son Rotham. Their 19 and 21-year old daughters also lived separately on the Kibbutz. Her father, Ilan Troen, is professor emeritus of Israel Studies at Brandeis University, and at Bar-Ilan University of the Negev. They were talking on the phone on the morning of the attack when she said she heard gunshots and breaking glass, after which the conversation was cut. The next Troen and the family heard was a message from Rotham on the family text group saying: "Mom and Dad are dead. I’m sorry. Please send help." Although he was shot in the stomach help did not arrive for another 13 hours.

He said the noise his mother heard were militants breaking into the house. His mother ordered him to lie under some thick blanketing and then lay over him shielding his body hers. As the militants broke into their safe room Rotham heard two explosions which he thought were granades. He then heard shots, and his father screaming as he died. He felt his mothers body twitch on top of him and then she was still. Her body protected him from most of the bullets except for one which entered his stomach, but was not fatal because it lost velocity passing through her body.

Through the family text channel various family members, including a doctor and a trauma specialist, coaxed Rotham through his ordeal. They encouraged him, made him to slow his breathing and when the militants returned to burn the house told him not to go outside.They eventually led the IDF rescuers to him. He was taken to hospital, operated on, and eventually recovered from the bullet wound. He asked to keep the bullet in memory of his parents. He is receiving trauma therapy. He said that he initially wanted to die by suicide, but decided against this because it would not honor his parents sacrifice for him.

Kaploun-Vital / Katsman / Aladjem

The experiences during the attack of Adi Kouplan-Vitil and her two sons, Hayim Katsman and Avinat Aledjem are connected. They were all residents of the kibbutz on the day of the attack, but the three families are not related. Katzman is credited with saving three neighbours. He died using his body to protect Aladjem from militant bullets. Aladjem subsequently saved the two Kouplan-Vital children from being kept hostage which lead to them being reunited with their father. Their mother was killed during the attack.

After The attack began Kouplan-Vital hid in her house with her sons. She messaged her husband, who had stayed overnight at an another kibbutz, not to return home, which probably saved his life. Militants broke into her house at around 12;30, and killed her. They booby-trapped her body and hid it under a bed, so if anyone pulled the body out it would have exploded. Since it took a while for the IDF to clear houses and disarm traps like these, Kouplan-Vitil was initially considered missing rather than killed, until her body was found. The militants took the children hostage. At some point the oldest child (4-years old) was shot in the foot. The baby (4.5-months old) was later treated for breathing problems.

File:Hostages Avital Aladjem (center) and her neighbor Adi Vital-Kaploun‘s two children being released by Hamas militants.jpeg

Screenshot; Avital Aladjem (center) just after militants decide to release her and the two sons of her neighbour, Adi Vital-Kaploun, who was killed earlier. Aladjem is carrying the 4.5-month old son under her dress.

They next broke into the home of Aladjem, where she was hiding with Katsman. They shot them, killing Katsman, but his body shielded Aladjem from harm. They took her hostage with the Kouplan-Vitil children. She and the children were marched through the kibbutz towards Gaza with one of the militants carrying the older child because of his injury. She reports that they saw scenes of death and destruction, with shots being fired and houses being burnt. Just before the Gaza border (Aladjem reports being able to see Gazan houses), the older child began screaming that he did not want to go. The militant eventually put the boy down and told them to go. In a video released by Hamas of this moment, Aladjem, who is holding the baby under her dress, is seen walking towards the boy (see screenshot). She bends down and hugs him, and they start hand-in-hand in a different direction from which the militants walk. Aladjem describes avoiding other militant groups by hiding behind sand dunes, and eventually meeting IDF soldiers who escorted them back to the kibbutz in time to be evacuated with the other survivors. The boys were later reunited with their father.

There was controversy related to the video. Hamas characterised it as the showing mercy by releasing a mother and her children a couple of days after the attack. It was subsequently confirmed by Aladjem that the video showed her and Kouplan-Vital’s two sons, being released on the day of the attack, with Kouplan-Vital already having been killed by this point.

Ziyadne family

Yousef Hamis Ziyadne is a Bedouin from Rahat. He and his two sons, Hamza and Bilal, and minor daughter, Aisha, all worked in the cowshed of the kibbutz. After the attack they were missing but it wasn’t certain if they had been taken captive or killed.

During the hostage release negotiations it became apparent that the family had been taken captive to Gaza. Bilal the younger son, and his sister Aisha were released as part of the 2023 Israeli–Palestinian prisoner exchange. Their father and brother are still held captive. Bilal said that although he told their captors that the family was Arab, he was told that they were still being taken captive. He said the family were provided with enough food to not go hungry, and were each given a mattress, blanket and pillow for sleeping. The family was more scared of Israel air strikes than Hamas. He was concerned for the remaining hostages because he knew what they were experiencing.

Hamas video of children being shown compassion

File:Hamas militant holding toddler and baby.jpeg

Screenshot: Militant holding Israeli children during Holit massacre

Hamas released a video on its Telegram channel on 8 October 2023 allegedly taken on 7 October 2023 during the Holit attack. The video shows a toddler and baby who are purported to be Israeli children, being interacted with in a friendly way by Hamas militants. The toddler is seen in conversation with a militant who has his arm around the child’s shoulder. He is subsequently seen drinking after being instructed to say "Bismilla" (in the name of God) before the drink. The baby is seen held by a militant and then subsequently pushed backwards and forwards in a pram. The message of the video is given in between these scenes by another militant while holding the toddler and baby (see screenshot). The militant loadly in Arabic says: "Look how merciful our hearts are. We aren’t killing children like you are."

The IDF responded to the video by retweeting it on its X channel with the wording: "You can see their injuries, hear their cries and feel them trembling from fear as these children are held hostage in their own homes by Hamas terrorists and their parents lie there dead in the next room. These are the terrorists that we are going to defeat."

The video has not been directly verified by any media outlet. The IDF response seems to indicate it is a video of Israeli children, on the day of the attack, with their dead parents nearby. Their response does not indicate or dispute the venue. There has been no further news of the welfare of the children or their parents after the release of the video.

Details of casualties and hostages unfolding over time

Groups of people highlighted by colour, have linked stories covered above.

Name	Age	Gender	Description	7 October 2023	As of 8 January 2024 (2024-01-08)
Abraham Gabriel Korin	56	Male	Argentinian-Israeli, security team member	Missing	Killed, 7 October 2023
Liz Elharar	46	Female		Killed	-
Meir Elharar	58	Male
Lily Keizman		Female
Tehila Katabi	31	Female
Rolan Sultan	68	Male
Ronit Sultan	56	Female	Argentinian-Israeli
Moshe Ridler	91	Male	Holocaust survivor
Petro Bosco	35	Male	Moldovan employee, Moshe Ridler’s carer	Killed	-
Two unnamed foreigners			Nepali employees	Killed	-
Withawat Kunwong	30	Male	Thai employee	Injured	Recovered, returned to Thailand
Deborah "Shahar" Mathias	50	Female	American-Israeli	Killed	-
Shlomi Mathias	49	Male
Rotem Mathias	16	Male	Mathias’ youngest son	Injured	Recovered
Adi Kaploun-Vital	33	Female	Canadian-Israeli, mother of two sons, Katsman and Aladjem’s neighbour	Missing	Killed, 7 October 2023
Hayim Yeshurun Katsman	32	Male	American-Israeli, Aledjem and Kaploun-Vital‘s neighbour	Killed	-
Avital Aladjem		Female	Katsman and Kaploun-Vital‘s neighbour	Captured, Older Kaploun-Vital son shot in leg, Baby son later needed treatment for breathing difficulties	Released at Gaza border, 7 October 2023, recovered
2 Kaploun-Vital sons	4 yrs, 4.5 month	Male
Yousef Hamis Ziyadne (father)	53	Male	Bedouin family employees	Captive	Still held
Hamza Ziyadne (older son)	22	Male
Bilal Ziyadne (younger son)	18	Male		Captive	Released, 30 November 2023
Aisha Ziyadne (daughter)	16	Female
Yosef Rozhansky (father)	67	Male	Family members of resident Anat Dymshitz	Injured	Recovered, father lost his leg
Alla Rozhansky (mother)		Female
Yulia Fainstein (grandmother)		Female
Ofek Dymshitz (daughter)		Female
'Israeli' toddler and baby filmed 'during Holit attack'	Very young	1 boy, 1 unknown	Shown in video released by Hamas alleged to have been filmed in Holit	Seen being cared for by militants on video	No details known other than unverified video itself
Hamas militants (20)	-	-		Killed or chased away	?

Aftermath

Survivors evacuated

Survivors were initially evacuated to Kibbutz Gvulot, which while still being situated in the north-western Negev desert, is much further inland and was not attacked. They were then moved to Kibbutz Ein Gedi, near the Dead Sea, which had housed Holit refugees after earlier trouble on the Gaza border.

Michael Raitzen didn’t relocate to Erin Gedi as he had to report for work in Rahat the next day at 8:00. The chief of police had been killed, and Raitzen’s deputy had been injured. It took the police several days to clear Rahat of militants.

Treatment of childrens’ trauma

President Isaac Hertzhog, visiting children from Kibbutz Holit, now living at Kibbutz Ein Gedi, where they are being treated for trauma

Children from the kibbutz, now living at Kibbutz Ein Gedi, are participating in "hug" therapy to help them deal with their trauma. The therapy developed by Dr. Shai Hen-Gal uses a stuffed dog doll to assist in the children’s treatment. President Isaac Herzog and his wife, were introduced to the children on a 20 November 2023 visit. The therapy method was explained to them, and mothers and children discussed how the method helped the children deal with the trauma they suffered during the 7 October attacks.

See also

• 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• List of massacres during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• Palestinian terrorism
• Moshe Dayan's eulogy for Ro'i Rothberg
• List of massacres in Israel