Kibbutz Erez is located in southwestern Israel, at the northwestern tip of the Negev Desert. The kibbutz is currently evacuated.
On October 7, 2023, the terrorist organization Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, which also included an attempted invasion of Kibbutz Erez in order to massacre and kidnap its residents. The members of the kibbutz’s emergency squad spotted the terrorists at an early stage and fought with them, managing to stop the terrorists from entering. One of the members of the standby squad was killed and four injured in the battle.
Although Kibbutz Erez’s apiary produces 30 tons of honey a year, life is not always sweet when the distance from the Gaza Strip border is only 700 meters. Nevertheless, in the years prior to the 2023 Hamas attack and ensuing war, Kibbutz Erez, after which the main crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel – the Erez Crossing – is named, experienced a boom in absorption and growth.
The combination of the new families in the expansion neighborhood of the kibbutz along with the original kibbutz members created a vibrant human mosaic of people. On the kibbutz there’s also an ancient and slightly faded Byzantine mosaic that was discovered atop a hill kibbutz years ago.
Depicted on the mosaic is a man in a red skirt taking two tigers for a stroll. The mosaic was reconstructed next to the kibbutz “Green Hut” pub, perhaps symbolizing that a man in a red skirt walking two tigers would probably enjoy a cold beer.
In addition to the agricultural industries of the kibbutz that include field crops, and orchard, a dairy farm, chicken coop and greenhouses, Kibbutz Erez also has a factory for thermoplastic products.
Photos: Kibbutz Erez
