Residents of kibbutz destroyed in 7 October Hamas-led attacks grapple with how to rebuild

Roosting birds now coo among the ceiling tiles in the deserted dining room of Kibbutz Nir Oz, once the bustling heart of a close-knit, 400-strong Israeli community which was devastated by the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023. "We used to come and see each other, eat together. There were lots of activities here, also holidays to celebrate," remembers Dalit Ram Aharon, who is showing me around with her husband, Achi. By the glass entrance doors, dotted with bullet holes, there is a shocking reminder of what happened to the missing residents. The postboxes for each household bear stickers put there after the attacks three years ago: red indicates those killed, and black those taken hostage.