Simon King reflects on traumatic events in Gaza and his hopes for recovery

Simon King, a British-Israeli landscape gardener, has shared his hopes for life to return to normal in 2024 after the horrific events that unfolded during the October 7 Hamas attack on his kibbutz in southern Israel. King, 59, who moved to Kibbutz Be’eri in 1984, was trapped in a safe room with his wife, Zehavit, and two sons, aged 13 and 14, for 36 hours while Hamas militants stormed their village.

Reflecting on the trauma, King described the attack as a “massacre” and the emotional toll it took on his family. Following the violent assault, which saw the death of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of hostages, he and his family were evacuated to a hotel near the Dead Sea. King spends his days helping to clean up his kibbutz, showing visitors the devastation caused by the attack.

King expressed his desire to move back to his home and restore his family’s routine in the coming year. His hopes for 2024 include resuming daily life, with his children returning to school and his wife returning to her teaching job.

The attack on Kibbutz Be’eri was part of a larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has caused significant loss of life. Over 20,000 Palestinians have died, and 53,000 more have been wounded in the ongoing conflict. Despite this, King remains hopeful for his family’s recovery, stating, “My hope is that we can return to normal life… get into a house with a couple of bedrooms and a kitchen.”