Nearly three years after October 7, members of the Nahal Oz community were informed that the kibbutz’s security camera footage from the day of the massacre had been found and returned to the administration, Channel 12 News reported.
The news triggered a wave of anger and outrage among families from the kibbutz, who claim that throughout this period, they had been told that all of the community’s systems were not functioning on the day of the massacre.
During the devastating events at Nahal Oz, 16 residents were murdered and eight others were kidnapped to Gaza. The community leadership sent an official message to residents stating that after prolonged efforts, the materials in question are now in their possession, protected and secured.
Bereaved families from the kibbutz say they had been told that the camera systems were not operating and demanded that the footage be released immediately. The kibbutz leadership responded to the claims, explaining that it had previously contacted the IDF in an effort to obtain the cameras, but that they were only transferred to them in recent days.
Regarding the families’ demand for immediate access to the materials, the kibbutz clarified that this is a complex matter involving legal considerations and the potential violation of personal privacy. Therefore, the administration intends to proceed in an organized and responsible manner and will formulate a joint work plan in the coming weeks together with welfare officials for handling the materials.
The IDF Spokesperson stated that the military did not delete or conceal any footage from the events of October 7. It further stated that the cameras, which officially belong to the kibbutz, were held by the military solely for the purpose of conducting its investigation and were transferred to members of Nahal Oz immediately after the request was received.