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Kibbutz Re'im Lifeline on 10.7.23

During the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Re'im, the residents, while in a harrowing
situation, taking refuge in shelters and hearing the terrifying sounds of houses
burning and gunshots outside their windows, maintained silence, offering mutual
support through the Kibbutz's WhatsApp group.


The chat was a lifeline as they called for help and guided each other through the
perilous moments, demonstrating the remarkable strength of their community in
the face of adversity.

8:20 - People, we need help urgently!

8:21 - Call the army to the neighborhood urgently.

8:21 - Urgent.

8:22 - I have a gunshot wound in the room.

8:22 - Send reinforcements.

8:23 - What are you saying? There are terrorists in the Kibbutz??

8:23 - Yes.

8:24 - Is the army here?

8:25 - Where is the army???

8:26 - Urgent, urgent to Dvir's house.

8:26 - Daria and Levi are alone.

8:26 - Dvir was murdered.

8:26 - Urgent.
8:26 - Urgent. Please!

8:26 - Please.

8:26 - Friends, lock the house and stay inside waiting for the army.

8:26 - Urgent, urgent.

8:26 - Please.

8:26 - Please.
8:26 - The children are alone. Please!

8:26 - Where is the army?

8:27 - Bring the army here!

8:27 - How is there no army here yet???

8:28 - Friends, from the northern border to the south, there are terrorists. We need to be patient.

8:31 - They are trying to break in!

8:32 - Stay quiet.

8:32 - Yoav, take care of yourself. They are at Zilpha's.

8:38 - There are noises outside, close by.

8:38 - Same here.

8:39 - Is there an army in the kibbutz? Please reassure us.

8:39 - Yoav, you're not responding to me. What's going on with you?

8:39 - Ilan, is there an army?

8:40 - Ilan, where is the Air Force, the army??? Calm us down.

8:41 - Please come to my balcony; there is someone shooting at the house.

8:43 - Please send written messages, not audio. We are maintaining absolute silence.

8:44 - Please, someone from Zahi's team, update us - has the army arrived? Any security forces?

8:44 - They just informed that not yet.

8:44 - Can we contact the army to send people here?!?!

8:44 - They are trying.

8:45 - We need up-to-date information.

8:45 - Ilan, take care of yourselves outside🙏🏽.

8:47 - If someone sees Asaf Faber, please let us know. We can't reach him; he lives in the youth neighborhood.

8:47 - Liam lost contact at 8:14; we need to hear from him.

8:53 - I'm currently barricaded in a room with a bleeding gunshot victim. We need help here and reinforcements.

8:53 - The army.

8:54 - Aviv is tending to an injured person in his room. We need help.

8:54 - Aviv, who is the wounded person?

8:54 - Not from the kibbutz.

8:55 - We heard gunfire close to the neighborhood.

8:55 - Everyone, take care of yourselves🙏🏽.

8:55 - Gunfire outside the neighborhood, near the pool.

8:57 - Strong gunfire in the youth neighborhood.

8:58 - Is there a protected area here with us??

8:59 - They are outside. For an hour already.

9:00 - Help, they're here.

9:01 - Ilan, what's happening?

9:01 - Where is the army???

9:05 - There's a police van with heavier weapons. A protected area is working outside. No army at the moment. The situation is dire.

9:08 - I don't understand how there's no army here. If someone in the Kibbutz has army contacts, please let them know what's happening and ask for reinforcements. I understand that the army knows and there are many events, but why aren't they acting?

9:10 - Please document this fact with the intelligence failure.

9:11 - I hear them below my window.

9:11 - Stay calm.

9:12 - They are outside near me.

9:13 - They're here.

9:13 - Please come.

9:13 - Please come.

9:14 - Please come quickly.

9:14 - Quickly.

9:14 - Please come.

9:15 - Someone respond.

9:15 -  Someone?

9:15 - Someone.

9:15 - They read your message. Hopefully they're coming soon 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

9:16 AM - Please, anyone?

9:16 AM - Sonia, stay locked in the shelter!

9:16 AM - There's no way to lock from the inside.

9:17 AM - We're trying to lock the shelter door.

9:17 AM - Lift the latch upwards and hold it tight.

9:17 AM - No.

9:17 AM - Turn the handle upwards.

9:17 AM - It won't lock.

9:17 AM - Please, come.

9:17 AM - You can still open from the outside.

9:17 AM - Strongly.

9:17 AM - Pull the door hard and lift the handle upwards.

9:17 AM - Just pull.

9:18 AM - I can't lift the handle upwards either.

9:18 AM - Did the rescue team come?

9:18 AM - Please.

9:19 AM -  If there's a bed or a table to block the door, push it.

9:19 AM - Just send someone.

9:19 AM - Zilpha, be strong; it's locked.

9:19 AM - I'm afraid to shake it.

9:20 AM - Noise.

9:20 AM - Is someone coming?

9:22 AM - They're inside our house.

9:22 AM - Please.

9:22 AM - Rescue team.

9:22 AM - Hold the handle with all your strength.

9:22 AM - They're here.

9:22 AM - There's military force on the way.

I just spoke with the military.

9:23 AM - Firearms!

9:24 AM - Why hasn't the rescue team arrived yet?

9:25 AM - Please come to me.

Hearing noises on the balcony.

Maybe someone is already inside the house because they shot at it.

9:27 AM - The rescue team?

9:27 AM - Where are they?

9:29 AM - Sonia, form a perimeter around the kibbutz. Some of the gunfire is ours.

9:29 AM - There are.

9:29 AM - There's a terrorist inside our house.

9:29 AM - They are at our place.

9:29 AM - Please.

9:29 AM - The army?

9:30 AM - Please come to our neighborhood.

9:30 AM - They're here with us.

9:30 AM - Stay calm.

9:31 AM - We also hear as if they're inside the house. Trying to enter, and there's the smell of burning dust.

9:31 AM - Cadets, please come.

9:31 AM - Where is the army?

9:31 AM - They're here.

9:32 AM - Shooting outside.

9:32 AM - They're here.

9:37 - Ilan, they are near us.

9:37 - They are trying to get inside.

9:37 - Hold the handle.

9:37 - There's fire and smoke inside; we're choking.

9:38 - They are also at our place.

9:38 - In the Ma'avar neighborhood.

9:38 - You can open from outside in any case. You need to damage the handle from the inside.

9:38 - Putting on wet shirts under the door.

9:39 - Lie on the floor, Michal.

9:39 - Keep quiet, don't do anything.

9:39 - To lie close to the floor.

9:39 - They might be shooting on our side.

9:40 - Where is the army?

9:41 - They are in my house.

9:41 - Please.

9:41 - Where are the Kibbutz Scouts?

9:42 - Where is the army?

9:42 - They are here.

9:42 - Is the army here?

9:43 - Where are the Kibbutz Scouts?

9:43 - Please update us about the army.

9:43 - The army?

]9:44 - Friends, the Yamass and Shaldag units have arrived for reinforcements.

9:44 - Please, come here.

9:44 - 🪬

9:44 - There's a terrorist in every house.

9:44 - The whole neighborhood.

9:45 - They need to arrive quickly in Dina Cohen's neighborhood.

9:45 - Please.

9:45 - Hurry!

9:45 - Save Ruth's children!!!

9:45 - How do you open the ventilation hatch?

9:45 - Turn left.

9:45 - Thank God.

9:45 -  They are still here.

9:45 - I'm afraid that even in the Tzairim neighborhood, there are still terrorists moving around.

9:46 - Also in the Ma'avar neighborhood.

9:46 - Friends, serious guys have arrived. Let them work.

9:47 - Please come to our neighborhood.

9:48 - Someone started to shout at them, working.

9:49 - Mobile Gaza Border Patrol was stolen. 

License plate: 21988 

Please share with those in the Ofakim, Netivot, and the surrounding area.

9:50 - Has the army arrived?

9:50 - Yes.

9:51 - Has anyone seen them?

9:55 - They are knocking on the mamad (secure room) window.

9:56 - Where is the army?????

9:56 - They are in the Tzame neighborhood.

9:56 - Why isn't the Givati Brigade in our neighborhood?

9:56 - Sonia, did the army arrive at your place?

9:56 - No.

9:57 - Please come.

9:58 - Please, please...

9:58 - Terrifying.

9:59 - The Ma'avar neighborhood is here.

9:59 - Heavy shooting in the Ma'avar neighborhood.

9:59 - Live fire from all sides.

9:59 - Please come 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

10:00 - Heavy shootings.

10:00 - The Ma'avar neighborhood is surrounded.

10:00 - Everyone, please keep phones on silent.

10:00 - Heavy shooting.

10:00 - There's someone in the house.

10:01 - Does anyone know what's going on with my parents?

10:01 - I can't hear from them.

10:01 - Heavy shooting outside our house.

10:01 - Very close.

10:01 - They are outside our house. Please come.

10:02 - How do you operate the ventilation in the mamad (secure room)?

10:02 - Hurry!

10:02 - Paver's mamad (secure room) door doesn't lock, please send reinforcement, sounds like they are outside our house.

10:02 - Please come; they are breaking into my house.

10:02 - Please.

10:02 - The house is filled with smoke.

10:03 - Does anyone know anything about Miriam?

10:03 - Please.

10:03 - Yigal called; his daughters are with him.

10:03 - With the granddaughters in the mamad (secure room).

10:03 - I just found out that everything is okay. 🙏🙏🙏

10:03 - I don't understand what's happening with the army.

10:03 - Heavy shooting outside our house, Avishi.

10:04 - Come to the Ma'avar neighborhood.

10:04 - What's happening, Ruth?

10:04 - Please, someone come to my children; they are alone at Dvir's house.

10:04 - Please, the Ma'avar neighborhood.

10:04 - If there is an army, please come to the Ma'avar neighborhood!

10:04 - Darya has been on the line with me for an hour and a half; she's scared.

10:05 -  ❤️

10:06 - The house is on fire... please save.

10:07 - As soon as possible!!!

10:07 - Urgent evacuations.

10:07 - My God.

10:07 - I'm calling the army on the phone; a combat team should arrive.

10:07 - You can call for help to extinguish the fire.

10:07 - Hurry.

10:07 - Our neighborhood is going up in flames.

10:08 - Where is the army?

10:08 - There's a fire in houses.

10:09 - We need the army urgently.

10:09 - Where is the army?

10:09 - The army was supposed to arrive three hours ago. What's happening?

10:09 - We are choking.

10:09 - We can hear them in Kiryat Gat too. Please come.

10:10 - Did anyone see the troops?

10:10 -  The last row of the Ma'avar neighborhood.

10:11 - They said there's a unit with Yasam and Golani in the kibbutz... Where are they?

10:11 - Please refrain from voice messages. Keep absolute silence.

10:12 - Ma'avar neighborhood, what's happening? We can hear them by the mamad window.

10:12 - Tzimba, don't record, it's not smart.

10:12 - They are outside the houses.

10:12 - They are at the Marodi family's house!

10:13 - There's firing in the Giladi neighborhood.

10:14 - They are here; come urgently to Dina's neighborhood.

10:15 - What about the army?

10:15 - Southern residents, Hamas terrorists are disguising themselves as IDF soldiers knocking on doors. Do not open doors; preserve your lives.

10:18 - Help, the entire house is burning.

10:19 - There's a fire at the Telker family's house. Come quickly.

10:19 - Uri and Ella are alone there.

10:19 - The parents are in the North.

10:20 -  They're breaking the door.

10:20 - Hurry here.

10:21 - The army is already here; does anyone know??

10:21 - They said they are here.

10:21 - Yes, they're here.

10:21 - Our neighborhood.

10:21 - Someone who comes to Telker and Marom urgently; they have fires, and they are suffocating.

10:21 - There's shooting in our neighborhood.

10:21 - There are knocks and shots in our neighborhood.

10:22 - Also in our area.

10:23 - On our mamad (secure room).

10:24 - Help, the fire has reached the mamad.

10:24 - Urgent to the Maroms!

10:25 - Urgent!

10:25 - If you have water, soak clothes and place them between the floor and the door.

10:25 - Urgent to our neighborhood!

10:25 - Thank you to whoever worried about me. I am fine with my granddaughters in the mamad (secure room) in peace. Stand strong!

10:25 - Urgent to get here.

10:25 - Urgent to Dina's neighborhood.

10:26 - Ma'avar neighborhood.

10:26 - Close shooting.

10:27 - Also at the Pavers.

10:28 - Everything is smoky; it's even getting into the mamad (secure room).

10:29 - Soak clothes and place them between the floor and the door.

10:29 - Where is the army?

10:29 - Also cover your face with wet cloths.

10:29 - Firefighters.

10:30 - Why isn't a battalion coming here?

10:30 - Please update if you are okay... These messages are so hard.

10:34 - Urgent to the Marom family, please, what's happening here?

10:34 - They are not responding to me.

10:34 - Another military unit is on its way to our area, near the second units in Re'aham.

10:34 - The children are okay, we are in contact with Ella and Uri. They are in the mamad (safe room), keeping quiet.

10:35 - Urgent to Marom.

10:35 - Urgent.

10:35 - Also to Telker.

10:35 - Please.

10:35 - Urgent to Marom.

10:36 - The fire has reached the mamad. Please, call the fire department.

10:36 - Please, the fire department.

10:37 - The entire house is on fire.

10:37 - Please, to Marom's neighborhood... what's the situation?

10:38 - Urgent!

10:38 - Urgent... Urgent!

10:38 - Quickly to Marom.

10:38 - We are suffocating.

10:38 - I don't understand where the soldiers are if not in Marom's neighborhood.

10:41 - Telker's children are with us, they are okay.

10:41 - There are sounds near us. Are these our forces? Mom!

10:41 - Yes.

10:41 - They are speaking Arabic outside our house.

10:42 - Outside the fence.

10:42 - I can hear them outside the mamad.

10:42 - They are here outside the house.

10:42 - What's happening with Marom???

10:42 - Stop posting on Facebook, friends.

10:43 - We also have someone outside the bakery.

10:43 - They are at our house.

10:43 - They are meters from the fence.

10:45 - Where is the army?

10:47 - Meanwhile, the terrorists have arrived with a company.

0:49 - Does anyone know what's happening with Riviv and Michal? They're not answering.

10:49 - Our house is on fire.

10:49 - Stay calm. There is an army force in Re'im.

10:51 - What about the fire extinguishing?

10:52 - If someone can reach the youngsters, there are many people not responding for a long time.

10:52 -  Please.

10:52 -  Right.

10:52 - Liam hasn't been answering since 8:13.

10:52 - Urgent, it's reaching Marom, both inside and outside.

10:52 - Who gives instructions?

10:54 - There is knocking on our safe room window.

10:54 - Please, check on Ouz's apartment.

10:54 - Stay quiet, don't move.

10:54 - There's knocking on the safe room window.

10:54 - Did you block the door gap with wet blankets to keep smoke out?

10:54 - Protect yourselves from smoke.

10:55 - It sounds like they're trying to break into Zilpha or Bounim.

10:56 - Ilan, our house is on fire.

10:57 - Hi, after understanding that there are places in the area with injured people, and Magen David Adom can't reach them at the moment, a WhatsApp group of doctors has been created to provide remote medical assistance until they can reach them. I'm sharing the group; if you feel you can help, you're welcome to join. If not, please spread the word to reach those in need.

10:57 - What to do?

10:57 - Where to run, the safe room door is hot.

10:57 - Please help, there's a fire in the safe room, what are the instructions?

10:58 - To leave the house and run? What should we do, please?

0:58 - Do you have water in the safe room?

10:58 - Someone please answer them, please!

10:58 - Not enough.

10:58 - I have someone in the apartment.

10:58 - In Ouz's apartment, please.

10:58 - Do not leave until we receive clear instructions.

10:58 - Please.

10:58 - Send someone to secure them when they leave.

10:58 - Riviv and Michal are okay.

10:59 - Liki?

10:59 - Put your shirts over your chest area, cover your nose. Keep away from the door as much as possible.

10:59 - Someone should get to Ouz's neighborhood quickly.

10:59 - Lie down on the lowest floor you can.

11:00 - Smoke rises, so stay low.

11:00 - Where's the army? Where's the Iron Dome?

11:00 - Urgent, urgent, the army to Ouz's house.

11:00 - If I were in your place, and it's not information or experience, I would open the glass window and make sure the safe room door is locked.

11:03 - Our house is completely on fire. Soldiers helped us get out of the house; now we're in the Kupman shelter.

11:04 - 🕊

11:04 - They should go to Ouz Benay's neighborhood.

11:04 - What about the youngsters?

11:04 - I'm still in the room.

11:04 - Ouz Benay's neighborhood has a lot of disconnected friends.

11:04 - Please rescue the youngsters.

11:04 - Please, for the youngsters. Many of them have lost contact.

11:04 - It's calm here right now, and there are no fires.

11:05 - Many are not responding.

11:05 - Where is the army? Where's the Iron Dome?

11:06 - The terrorists are here in the Ma'avar neighborhood.

11:06 - Noise of knocking in the Ma'avar neighborhood.

11:07 - Urgent, they are here, we need the army.

11:07 - Fear of a cyberattack: Friends, now a wave of pictures and videos with many links will start. Try not to open them from your mobile phones; a wave of fake news and cyber events will begin. Take care of yourselves; do not open links.

11:08 - In the Ma'avar neighborhood!!

11:09 - Can someone reach my back balcony? I hear voices from there all the time.

11:09 - What about the youngsters, please conduct a scan there.

11:10 - Why are there still terrorists in the kibbutz?

11:11 - Hearing knocking on the safe rooms in the Ma'avar neighborhood.

11:12 - Knocking on the safe rooms is not us.

11:12 - Bravo, heroes.

Art From The Shadow

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