Holit () is a

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

in the

Hevel Shalom Hevel Shalom (, lit. ''Shalom region'') is an area in the western Negev desert close to Israel's border with the Gaza Strip and Egypt's Sinai. This area was elected to be substitutive area for evacuees from Yamit. Villages Villages in Hevel Shal ...

region of south-west

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Located near Nir Yitzhak, the kibbutz is under the jurisdiction of

Eshkol Regional Council Eshkol Regional Council (, ''Mo'atza Ezorit Eshkol'') is a regional council in the north-western Negev, in Israel's Southern District. The regional council's territory lies midway between Ashkelon and Beersheba, bounded on the west by the Gaza St ...

. In , it had a population of .

History

126328 holit-sign directing to the kibbutz PikiWiki Israel

The kibbutz was established in 1978 as a

Nahal settlement Nahal settlements () were Israeli settlements established by Israeli soldiers of Nahal in both Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. Supporting the growth and expansion of Israeli Jews was once the main focus of Nahal troops of the Israe ...

near

Yamit Yamit () was an Israeli settlement in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula with a population of about 2,500 people. Yamit was established during Israel's occupation of the peninsula from the end of the 1967 Six-Day War until that part of ...

, in the

Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...

. However, as a result of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in 1979, Israel was required to evacuate all its settlements in the peninsula. In 1982, the kibbutz was re-established in its current location. The Holit massacre was perpetrated by

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

militants on 7 October 2023 in kibbutz Holit, as part of the October 7 surprise attack on Israel. Hamas killed at least 11 members of the kibbutz and two

migrant worker A migrant worker is a person who Human migration, migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have an intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers ...

s. Among the casualties were at least two American citizens. A women's tank platoon of the

Caracal Battalion The 33rd "Caracal" Battalion () is an infantry combat battalion of the Israel Defense Forces, one of the three fully combat units (alongside the ' Lions of Jordan Battalion' and the ' Cheetah Battalion') in the Israeli military's Paran Brigad ...

was crucial in the recapturing of the kibbutz.

Economy

Holit's economy is based on agriculture and industry, with three main sources of income: the cattle farm, factory, and crop production. The factory produces

juicer A juicer, also known as a juice extractor, is a tool used to extract juice from fruits, herbs, leafy greens and other types of vegetables in a process called juicing. It crushes, grinds, and/or squeezes the juice out of the pulp. A juicer cla ...

s, about 50 a week. Oranges, lemons, potatoes, mangos, nuts and carrots are all grown in the fields and orchards.

References

External links

Holit
Negev Information Centre {{Authority control Kibbutzim Kibbutz Movement Eshkol Regional Council Populated places established in 1978 Populated places established in 1982 Nahal settlements Former Israeli settlements in Sinai Gaza envelope Populated places in Southern District (Israel) 1978 establishments in the Israeli Military Governorate 1982 disestablishments in the Israeli Military Governorate 1982 establishments in Israel