Kutz family: Father, mother and three teens die in embrace

Aviv (54), Livnat (49), Rotem (19), Yonatan (17), and Yiftach (15) Kutz were murdered by Hamas terrorists in their home in Kfar Aza on October, 7, 2023. An entire family was wiped out.

After initially counted among the missing, neighbors from the kibbutz found them together in a bed, with father Aviv providing a protective embrace.

Livnat, who was supposed to celebrate her 50th birthday this month, was born during the Yom Kippur War. She was a graphic designer who launched an educational initiative called Workshop that integrated ancient handcrafts into school curriculums in the Shaar Hanegev region in Israel’s south.

Aviv was deputy director of a consulting firm and also engaged in agricultural work.

Daughter Rotem was a soldier who trained new recruits. Sons Yonatan and Yiftach were students at the Kfar Hayarok boarding school in Ramat Hasharon and basketball players in the Hapoel youth program. They dreamed of going professional.

“They were all amazing kids with huge hearts. They had their whole lives ahead of them,” said their aunt Adi Levy Salama told a Hebrew media outlet.

Salama shared that the family had returned to Kfar Aza after several years in Boston.

“On the day they were murdered, we were supposed to visit them. Aviv organized an annual kite festival along the fence with Gaza to show them that we just want to live in peace,” she said.

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