Tkuma

Tkuma

Before we drove Nova it was meaningful to see the cars of the victims who tried to escape from Nova . To better understand how road 232 looked on the 7th of October we had to see the Vehicles Memorial car graveyard.

Bloody Road, road 232

Road 232, which runs through southern Israel near the Gaza Strip. After October 7 it was named Bloody Road in the first part 

The "Bend of Death" Between the Sha'ar HaNegev junction and the Black Arrow site  (6km in distance) , 55 people were murdered, most of them while fleeing from the Nova music festival. Survivors refer to it as the "Bend of Death." There is a testimony from a survivor that one of the terrorists was a 12-year-old child.  Along the road we saw memorial monument that families built.

Hamas terrorist new that people will flee north and they planned ambush andstood in different corners of the road and shot cars and burned them, the result we saw in The Burnt Cars Parking Lot Tkuma Car Grave Yard.

On the road we will see monument for some of the victims, each monument his a  young life that were cut by evil.

• Uriya Litman-Ricardo Memorial: She was at the party with Shachar Mansur and Sharon Rafi. They managed to escape in Shachar's car but fell into a deadly ambush near the memorial, and the car overturned. In May 2024, I met her father there, who said they found her body under a eucalyptus tree, indicating she likely crawled there but, lacking medical evacuation, died from her wounds.

• Keshet Kasroti, Shani Luke, and Orion Hernandez Memorial: Three friends who came to the party. They escaped but fell into a deadly ambush near Mefalsim. Keshet Kasroti was injured but managed to escape after reporting to Magen David Adom, and was picked up by Moti Zvarman. The terrorists murdered both of them about 2 km from the Sha'ar HaNegev junction. Shani and Orion were kidnapped, with a particularly memorable video showing Shani lying in a truck. Three weeks later, the state declared she died during the kidnapping. In May 2024, the IDF managed to retrieve her body.

The Burnt Cars Parking Lot Tkuma Car Grave Yard

1,800 vehicles, some belonging to Hamas. Initially, it was thought to bury the cars due to suspicions of human remains. However, the authorities conducted a rapid cleaning process, using a vacuum to remove and bury any remains. As visitors started to arrive, it was decided to leave the vehicles on display. Hamas vehicles and motorcycles were gathered at the western end, and the burnt cars were piled at the eastern end. Understanding the significance of the site, the Ministry of Heritage took charge, displaying some cars near the western entrance.

The Burnt Vehicles: A total of 300. The blue vehicle in the pile - due to lack of space, after identification and cleaning, it was decided to pile them up. The commander noticed how tragic it looked and decided to place a blue unburnt vehicle in the shape of a life symbol.

Several vehicles are showcased in the center as they were brought later and were highlighted:

• The van on its side, with an oxygen tank leaning against it: This was an ambulance from Nova. During cleaning, remains of 17 bodies were found in it, including Ruth, a disabled woman who was celebrating with her father, Eric. The van was found at the site, burned and on its side from RPG fire, which possibly also exploded the oxygen tank. Ruth's remains were found under the door.

• The second burnt van: A smaller ambulance from Kibbutz Nir Oz. It was intentionally burned so that it could not be used to evacuate the wounded. You can see remnants of the inscription "MAGEN" on its side.

• White Seat: It was hit by two RPGs aimed at the fuel tank to explode the car. However, they did not explode because they were fired from too short a distance, and the fuses did not activate (they need 7 meters).

• White Toyota pickup: Belonging to a farmer from Nir Oz. The vehicle was hijacked to Gaza with bodies inside. A helicopter shot at it while crossing into Gaza, killing four terrorists and preventing the bodies from being taken.

• Completely crushed vehicle: A police car (Kia Sorento). Remnants of the police emblem can be seen at the back.

• Red Suzuki Swift: Completely perforated. It belonged to Meir Abergel, a Sderot police officer who was off duty due to cancer. He rushed to the station, and there is a video showing him arriving and being shot to death while driving, eventually crashing into the side.

• The third burnt van with the marking 256: A Yamas vehicle that was set on fire during the battle in Zikim. Some of the fighters in the vehicle were killed in the battle (according to Adiel, 7 were killed and only one survived). You can see the vehicle's ladders.

• Vehicle with the Fire Department flag: Belonging to Shalom Tzaban, commander of the Kiryat Gat station and a resident of Sderot. When the sirens started, he put on his uniform and left his home. He was murdered in his vehicle near the Sderot city library.

• White Jeep Cherokee: Belonging to David Katsko Katsir. He bought the vehicle shortly before for off-road trips, and indeed on that morning, he went on an off-road trip. However, when the rockets started, he drove back to Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was murdered at the entrance to the settlement.

• Black Audi: Parents and two children were murdered in it. A child's seat was taken for display.

• White Mitsubishi Pickup: With a tripod for a 0.5 machine gun belonging to Hamas. There are 20 other such off-road vehicles in the parking lot. This one was discovered in January in a stable in Be'eri, so it arrived late and was decided to be placed in the middle. The tripod's gears are functional!

• Black Ram Pickup: Also a vehicle with a tripod for a 0.5 machine gun, including metal plates to protect the shooter! The vehicle got stuck on the way due to the weight of the tripod. It was discovered later and was decided to be displayed at the front.

• Silver Hyundai Tucson: According to Adiel, the guard at the place, it belonged to one of the commanders of the Nukhba unit.

• Motorcycles: There are two Harley Davidsons belonging to Israelis (one with a license plate), and the rest are motorcycles of terrorists. Hamas had two models - DAYUN, made in China, and HALAWA (which means "sweet" in Arabic), an Egyptian brand also manufactured in China. The import was done through smuggling, but according to this article, Israel approved the import of spare parts in 2023. The vehicles are cheap (about $900), weak (maximum 200cc), and outdated, but they were suitable for Hamas's mission.

• Orange Tractor: Belonging to Kibbutz Nir Oz or Kfar Aza. It was discovered in the fields inside Gaza and was returned.

• White Toyota Corolla: Belonging to Keith and Aviva Siegel from Kfar Aza. They were kidnapped in their vehicle to Gaza. Aviva was released in November. Keith is still kidnapped. The vehicle was found at Shifa Hospital.

• Blue Seat Leon: Belonging to Uri Danino. According to this article, he managed to reach the vehicle and could have escaped, but decided to return to try to save his friends. While rescuing siblings Miya and Itay Regev and Omer Shem-Tov, they were shot by terrorists. Miya and Itay were injured, and when they looked around, Uri had disappeared. Omer sat in the driver's seat, but eventually, all three were kidnapped. Uri Danino has not been seen since and is considered a hostage.

• Vehicle 223 at the bottom of the pile: Belonging to Gabriel Bar-El. The vehicle was identified by the family and marked as 223. For a Channel 1 report in March 2024, the sister was asked to identify the vehicle when it was in the pile, and it was emotional when she recognized it. You can see memorial candles when she identified the vehicle.

Vehicles in the depth:

• The white minibus: A minibus that was picking up 13 retirees in Sderot for a day trip to the Dead Sea but got a flat tire near the city library. Despite the sirens going off, the door of the protected room did not open. The terrorists murdered all the retirees. The driver survived, as did a neighbor who tried to help open the door.

• Trailer: Six people survived in it (even though it was not protected).

Our next visit is to Shuva Hachim.