Ruins and memories of a paradise lost in an Israeli village where attackers killed, kidnapped dozens

By SAM McNEIL
Associated Press

KIBBUTZ NIR OZ, Israel (AP) — Nir Oz is one of more than 20 towns and villages in southern Israel that were ambushed in the sweeping assault by Hamas on Oct. 7. In many, the devastation left behind is shocking. But it is clear that Nir Oz, a kibbutz on a low rise overlooking the border fence with Gaza, suffered a particularly harsh toll. It was home to about 400 people, many employed growing asparagus and other crops in an oasis of greenery surrounded by the Negev desert. Now, it is virtually devoid of the people who gave it life. The Israeli military and a pair of surviving residents led a group of journalists, including an Associated Press reporter, on a tour of the battered village.