Freed hostage Gadi Mozes sent a letter today to his community of Kibbutz Nir Oz. In the letter, which was publicized by the kibbutz spokesperson, Mozes asked his fellow community members to return to the kibbutz and rebuild.
“From the depths of despair, I have chosen to stand up, roll up my sleeves, and join those who are determined to rebuild our home, Nir Oz, as a thriving, warm community—one with culture, education, health, creativity, hope, and security,” Mozes wrote. “I call on all of us to rise and work together to make this happen as quickly as possible.”
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Mozes, 80, was kidnapped from the kibbutz on October 7, 2023, and was freed from captivity in January after 15 months as a hostage. He was among the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, which is located just miles from the border with the Gaza Strip.
During the October 7, 2023, attack, more than 100 Palestinian fighters entered the kibbutz, killing 46 and taking 71 hostages out of the 400 or so kibbutz members. An estimated 80% of the kibbutz’s homes were burned or otherwise damaged in the attack.
The Israeli government has estimated that the physical restoration of the kibbutz will take years, and in recent months, many kibbutz members have been living in the southern city of Kiryat Gat.
“With all due respect to the new and spacious homes … our place is not in high-rise buildings in Kiryat Gat but in ground-level homes, in the fresh air, near our fields in Nir Oz,” Mozes wrote.