Six of the communities in the cluster affected by the October 7 massacre began a gradual transition to temporary housing this week. These are Re'im kibbutzim, Kerem Shalom, Nirim, Nir Yitzhak, Sufa and Nir Oz.
The crossing in some communities is planned for a period of six months to a year or more. At this time, some of the physical rehabilitation and infrastructure development work in the communities are planned to begin. At the end of the interim stage, all communities will return to the permanent settlements in the cluster.
Apartments for evacuees in Maoz Daniel's Ramat Gan, photo: courtesy of Maoz Daniel
In recent weeks, council teams accompanied the communities together with the Takuma Administration, and each locality was tailored to its wishes, needs and analysis of the available alternatives.
These are the locations chosen for the communities: Kibbutz Reim moves to Tel Aviv, Kibbutz Kerem Shalom moves to Ashalim, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak moves to Kibbutz Ayalot, Kibbutz Nirim to Be'er Sheva, Kibbutz Sufa to Ramat Gan and Ofakim and Kibbutz Nir Oz to Kiryat Gat. Kibbutz Be'eri, which is planned to move to Kibbutz Hatzerim, chose to stay at the hotel for the next six months, until the completion of the caravan complex at Kibbutz Hatzerim.
"We will build and rebuild our home." Gadi Yarkoni , Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The other localities in the cluster that have already made a decision regarding the transition to temporary housing will begin the transition later. Some will choose to stay in hotels and from there return directly to their localities in the council, subject to the security situation. Council teams will continue to accompany the communities in their temporary homes as well, in close cooperation with the absorbing authorities and members of the Takuma Administration, including in the fields of education, welfare and resilience.
Gadi Yarkoni, head of the Eshkol Regional Council, said, "Despite the distance and geographical dispersal, Eshkol remains the home of all of us and we will continue to remain one community, strong and united. Together, we will reach the day when we can unite again in the cluster. We will build and rehabilitate our home. We will return to a different region than it was: safer, more invested and prosperous."
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