Three years on from October 7, Israel's border communities rebuild but fear has not left them

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026.

Residents of Israeli communities along the Gaza border have returned to their homes three years after the Hamas-led attack killed some 1,200 people and dragged 250 into captivity, but many say the dread has never fully lifted. Even kites drifting over from Gaza have been enough to revive the trauma of a pre-attack era when Israel turned a blind eye to border provocations. Trump's Board of Peace is now attempting to chart a new course for the enclave, but Israel has warned of military action if the kites keep coming.

In the moshav of Netiv HaAsara, 20 residents were killed on October 7; three years on, neighbours say they still feel like targets.

Gaza's health ministry puts the Palestinian death toll from Israeli military action since the attack at more than 74,000.