3 years after the Hamas-led attacks, Israelis are returning to areas near Gaza : State of the World from NPR : NPR

Construction work taking place in a massive new neighborhood in Sderot, Israel, located less than a mile from the Yellow Line, on Sept. 1, 2026

Amit Elkayam for NPR

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Amit Elkayam for NPR

Three years after the October 7th attacks, Israel’s southern border with Gaza is undergoing a dramatic rebound. That region was nearly abandoned after thousands of Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities. That attack killed nearly 12-hundred people, and 250 more were taken hostage.

Now, residents are back.  Some are driven by solidarity with the victims of October 7th.   Others say they feel safer with the heavy Israeli military buildup along the border as Israel continues to occupy most of Gaza. 

We go to southern Israel.

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