Be’eri residents gather in the lounge of the David Hotel by the Dead Sea where they have been evacuated, to watch a live broadcast of the release of hostages from the kibbutz who were kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 atrocities.
Racheli Benacot, whose sister was murdered during the onslaught and whose brother was killed fighting Hamas terrorists who invaded the kibbutz, says she and the Be’eri community are “incredibly happy” that some of the hostages are being released tonight.
But she says that happiness is marred by sadness “for those who are no longer, and for those still in Gaza” who they are still waiting, hoping and expecting to come home.
“This is a deal with Satan,” she says of the hostage release agreement with Hamas.
“None of the southern towns could go back, it would mean giving up on our home, our roots, our history, giving up on part of the country, it would be to give up on Zionism.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
