New Tourist Destination in Israel: Hamas Terror

Politicians, celebrities, and influencers pose in burnt-out houses and bullet-riddled bunkers. Since the October 7 attack, Israel tourists have flocked to a new tourist attraction: Hamas' destruction.

» Updated: July 16 2024

» Published: July 07 2024

New Tourist Destination in Israel: Hamas Terror
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP/TT

Politicians, celebrities, and influencers pose in burned-out houses and bomb shelters riddled with bullets.

Since the October 7 attack, tourists have flocked to a new attraction: Hamas's destruction.

Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka walks through the rubble wearing a bulletproof vest and sunglasses. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld discusses "Seinfeld" with a man whose father was murdered by Hamas. Tech billionaire Elon Musk peers into a crib filled with empty shell casings.

In recent months, a number of famous faces have made so-called "solidarity visits" to places devastated by Hamas's terrorist attacks on Israel in October. Visitors also include former US presidential candidate Nikki Haley, actor Michael Douglas, and TV therapist Dr. Phil – as well as tourists from all over the world, Israeli school classes, soldiers, and police officers.

For many, it's important to come here and feel the acrid smell of death, to imagine their friends or parents here, says Irit Lahav in kibbutz Nir Oz to AP.

Movie Screening

In Nir Oz, more than 20 people were murdered during the worst terrorist attack in Israel's history. Over 80 of the approximately 400 residents were kidnapped to Gaza at the same time. During Irit Lahav's tour, visitors see the spot where the terrorists broke in on October 7, the burned-out house where the three-child family Siman Tov was shot dead – and the remains of the chocolate bars that melted when the kibbutz's grocery store was set on fire.

Another place tourists and dignitaries flock to is the remains of the police station in Sderot, where visitors can see surveillance footage from the October 7 attack.

According to the city's tourism chief, around 200,000 have visited Sderot during the first half of the year – twice as many as a normal year, writes AP.

"No Monument"

The desert area in Re'im, where 364 festival-goers were killed and around 40 kidnapped during Hamas's attack, also attracts thousands of visitors. In a tent near the festival area, virtual tours are offered of three attacked kibbutzim, including Nir Oz.

It feels like I'm in "Fortnite", says an Israeli soldier to AP as he puts on a headset to see the destruction through VR glasses.

But not everyone sees terrorist tourism as unproblematic. Rena Bazar, who guides tourists in Nir Oz, hopes that all destroyed buildings will soon be demolished. The kibbutz is not a monument, she emphasizes to AP.

I don't want children to be affected by the devastation here. Our cemetery is already full. Isn't that enough of a memorial?

The concept of morbid tourism was coined in the 1990s and describes people's fascination with visiting places that have experienced natural disasters, war, death, and misery.

Among examples of disaster-stricken places that attract tourists are the buried city of Pompeii, the Titanic wreck site, the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants, Ground Zero in New York, and the concentration camps from World War II.

Whether tourism is a way to keep history alive or an unethical, commercial exploitation of others' suffering is debated.

Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Around 2,500 armed Hamas militiamen broke through the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel in a coordinated manner. Thousands of rockets were fired at Israeli territory.

More than 1,100 people in Israel, the vast majority of whom were unarmed civilians, were shot, hacked, and burned to death. Massacres were committed in kibbutzim and at the Nova music festival held near the border. According to Israel, systematic rapes, torture, and desecrations occurred.

Nearly 250 people, including children, were taken hostage and taken to Gaza by Hamas.

The day after the deadliest attack on Israel in the country's history, the Israeli government formally declared war on Hamas. In extensive and sustained bombings, entire areas of the Gaza Strip have since been reduced to ruins. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas.

Currently, it is believed that over 100 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, since some have been released and others have been freed. However, it is unclear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive.

Around 38,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack, according to the Hamas-controlled health department's figures. Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza has simultaneously pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Two Dead, 105 Arrested in
1 MIN READ

Two Dead, 105 Arrested in Nepal Protests Over Former Monarchy

Drone Strike in Pakistan Kills
1 MIN READ

Drone Strike in Pakistan Kills Over Ten, Including Children

Protesters in Copenhagen Rally Against
1 MIN READ

Protesters in Copenhagen Rally Against US Interest in Greenland

Genre image
1 MIN READ

Several Injured in Serious Violent Incident in Trondheim, Norway

Massive Istanbul Protests Demand Release
1 MIN READ

Massive Istanbul Protests Demand Release of Mayor Imamoglu

Guinea Pardons Ex-Dictator Camara After
1 MIN READ

Guinea Pardons Ex-Dictator Camara After Arena Massacre Sentence

Over 100,000 Russian Soldiers Confirmed
1 MIN READ

Over 100,000 Russian Soldiers Confirmed Dead in Ukraine Conflict

Denmark Criticizes US VP Vance's
1 MIN READ

Denmark Criticizes US VP Vance's Remarks on Greenland Visit

US Expands Airstrikes in Yemen
2 MIN READ

US Expands Airstrikes in Yemen Targeting Houthi-Controlled Areas

FDA Vaccine Chief Resigns, Cites
1 MIN READ

FDA Vaccine Chief Resigns, Cites Kennedy's Misinformation

16 Maoist Rebels Killed in
1 MIN READ

16 Maoist Rebels Killed in Ongoing Clashes with Indian Forces

Greenland's Jørgen Boassen Faces Backlash,
2 MIN READ

Greenland's Jørgen Boassen Faces Backlash, Supports US Ties

Football Fan Discovers Sensitive UK
2 MIN READ

Football Fan Discovers Sensitive UK Military Documents in Trash Bag

Myanmar Earthquake Claims Over 1,600
2 MIN READ

Myanmar Earthquake Claims Over 1,600 Lives, Rescue Efforts Intensify

Columbia University President Steps Down
1 MIN READ

Columbia University President Steps Down After Funding Agreement

Utah Enacts Ban on Rainbow
1 MIN READ

Utah Enacts Ban on Rainbow Flags in Schools and Government Buildings

Genre image
1 MIN READ

Russian Drone Attack on Dnipro Leaves Four Dead, Many Injured

Yemen's Huthi Movement Accuses US
1 MIN READ

Yemen's Huthi Movement Accuses US of Airstrikes on Sanaa

Damascus Lifts Alcohol Ban in
1 MIN READ

Damascus Lifts Alcohol Ban in Christian Quarters After Protests

Zelensky Open to Peace Talks
1 MIN READ

Zelensky Open to Peace Talks with Russia, Excluding Putin

South Sudan's Vice President Riek
1 MIN READ

South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar Placed Under House Arrest

Trump and Canada's Carney Report
2 MIN READ

Trump and Canada's Carney Report Productive Talks on US-Canada Relations

Ukraine Recovers 909 Soldiers' Remains
1 MIN READ

Ukraine Recovers 909 Soldiers' Remains from Russian Conflict

Frederiksen Calls Vance's Criticism of
2 MIN READ

Frederiksen Calls Vance's Criticism of Denmark Unfair During Greenland Visit

Greenland's New Government Aims for
2 MIN READ

Greenland's New Government Aims for Stability and Unity

Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse Caught on
1 MIN READ

Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse Caught on Camera in 30 Seconds

Putin and Erdogan Talk Black
1 MIN READ

Putin and Erdogan Talk Black Sea Deal and Sanctions Relief

Denmark Proposes Defense Pact with
2 MIN READ

Denmark Proposes Defense Pact with US Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Netanyahu Warns of Renewed Strikes
2 MIN READ

Netanyahu Warns of Renewed Strikes on Beirut After Ceasefire Breach

Myanmar Earthquake Adds to Struggles
2 MIN READ

Myanmar Earthquake Adds to Struggles in War-Torn Nation

Seismologist Warns of Severe Impact
1 MIN READ

Seismologist Warns of Severe Impact After Myanmar Earthquake

Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Energy
1 MIN READ

Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Energy Sites as Ceasefire Talks Falter

Swedes in Bangkok Share Earthquake
3 MIN READ

Swedes in Bangkok Share Earthquake Fears as City Grapples with Aftershocks

Istanbul Mayor's Lawyer Arrested in
1 MIN READ

Istanbul Mayor's Lawyer Arrested in Turkey, Sparking Outcry

Myanmar Earthquake: Over 150 Dead,
2 MIN READ

Myanmar Earthquake: Over 150 Dead, Thousands Feared Lost

US Vice President Visits Greenland
2 MIN READ

US Vice President Visits Greenland Base as Tensions Simmer

Greenlanders Anxious Over US Interest
3 MIN READ

Greenlanders Anxious Over US Interest as Trump Sparks Debate

US VP Visit to Greenland
2 MIN READ

US VP Visit to Greenland Base Sparks Tension and Uncertainty

Canada's New PM Carney Declares
1 MIN READ

Canada's New PM Carney Declares Shift in US Relations

Seized Superyacht Linked to Money
1 MIN READ

Seized Superyacht Linked to Money Laundering Fetches 108 Million