A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel: seeing Hamas’ destruction in the south
- Organised trips are seen as a way to build support and solidarity with Israel following the October 7 Hamas attack
A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ October 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a sombre visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza.
Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Musk, Michael Douglas, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are a few who have visited, at times posing for photos in front of burned-out homes. Many Israelis, including soldiers and security officials, are also visiting on organised trips.
“It’s our personal story, but it’s also the story of all of the state of Israel,” said Irit Lahav, spokeswoman for Kibbutz Nir Oz, who gives many of the tours.
A quarter of the approximately 400 Nir Oz residents fell victim to the attack. Hamas militants killed more than 20 and kidnapped over 80. In the dining hall, a wall of post office boxes is plastered with stickers – red for killed, black for kidnapped, blue for released.
While it’s uncomfortable to open the community to visitors, she said it’s important for people to “come here and smell the burned smell of death, to imagine your friends or parents here”.
Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people as they rampaged through southern Israel, and kidnapped around 250. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war that followed.