Opinion
By Deputy Ambassador to Cyprus Rotem Segev
Yaniv and Yasmin Zohar met in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where Yaniv moved as a student. After marrying, they built a loving home and raised three wonderful children: Keshet (20), who had special needs yet broke every barrier by graduating high school and pursuing higher education; Tchelet (18), who dedicated herself to volunteering at a youth boarding school; and Ariel (13), still a young student.
To the Zohar’s, like many other families in Israel, October 7th, 2023 was meant to be a sacred holiday, filled with music, laughter, and joy. But as the sun rose that Saturday morning, Hamas terrorists invaded Nahal Oz and soon reached the family’s home. There, they brutally murdered Yaniv, Yasmin, Keshet, and Tchelet, along with Yasmin’s father, Haim, an 85-year-old agronomist - and even the family dog. Little Ariel was the only one to survive. In mere moments, three generations of one family were wiped out by vicious terrorists. By nightfall, the full extent of the disaster was revealed as Israel endured one of the most brutal massacres in its history.
October 7th is not just a date on the calendar - it is a wound that reshaped our lives. As we approach this dark anniversary, we must remember that it began not with politics or narratives, but with human lives. That day was a horrific awakening, as terrorists murdered every person in their path - women, children, and the elderly, regardless of nationality or religion. So many innocent lives were violated, mutilated, executed, and burned alive with unimaginable cruelty. Women, in particular, were deliberately targeted with systematic brutality, their bodies and dignity turned into weapons of terror. The violence was intentional, horrifyingly broadcast on social media, and meant to shatter the very fabric of the victim’s humanity.
This conflict is not abstract for me, nor for anyone in Israel. On October 7th, I lost the life I had before. None of us, Israelis, will ever be the same. Everyone in Israeli society knows someone who was killed, wounded, or kidnapped that day. The trauma is not collective in theory - it is personal in every home. Families are still mourning their loved ones, many of the wounded are still recovering, and above all, 48 hostages are still being held in Gaza. They were kidnapped from their homes, torn from their families, and are being tortured, starved, and kept in inhumane conditions in terror tunnels.
Despite the pain and suffering of Israelis after Hamas’s brutal attack - the event that ignited this war - some articles in the media present a deeply distorted portrayal of Israel and its struggle for survival. While they invoke international law and human rights, they do so selectively, erasing context and denying facts. Astonishingly, many of these pieces fail even to mention Hamas, omitting the terrorists who carried out unspeakable atrocities. By erasing Hamas from the story, these articles not only obscure the truth but also conceal the party truly responsible for the current situation.
Israel does not seek war; it seeks security, coexistence, and lasting peace. Hamas, however, has made clear its intent to repeat October 7th if given the chance, while raising the next generation to embrace hatred and violence. Israel remains resolute in preventing further harm to its people. The real obstacle to peace is not unfounded accusations against Israel, but Hamas’s refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, to release the hostages, and to lay down its arms.
October 7th left scars that will never fade from Israeli society. Ignoring this reality and labeling Israel solely as “the perpetrator” is not only false - it is unjust to the victims of terror. The simple truth is that the war could end tomorrow if Hamas disarms, releases all hostages, and stops oppressing the people of Gaza.
This opinion was originally posted on Facebook: Israel in Cyprus
