Nahal Oz survivor predicts his kibbutz’s population will double after war

Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where terrorists on October 7 murdered 14 people and abducted seven others, is about to double its population, Nadav Peretz says confidently.

“We were in the midst of a population boom when the attack happened,” Peretz, the kibbutz’s growth officer, tells The Times of Israel this evening, following the release of three members from captivity in Gaza.

“In the beginning, I thought the attack would end it all. But we’re seeing so much interest now. I’m telling you, we’re about to double our numbers in just a couple of years,” adds Peretz, 43, who works in risk assessment.

Like many Israelis, Peretz feels conflicted about the deal that led to the release: “We want two things. To see Hamas destroyed and to free the hostages. And right now, the latter outweighs the former. That’s the tradeoff,” says Peretz in Mishmar Haemek, a kibbutz near Afula where most Nahal Oz survivors are staying.

He attributes his survival to the fact that his home in Nahal Oz has two sheltered areas. “The terrorists came in and inspected one sheltered area, saw it was empty, and moved on.”

Peretz and his partner were in the other sheltered area, which had no lock, he recounts.