Erez

{{Infobox Israel village

| name = Erez

|hebname={{Script/Hebrew|ארז}}

|arname={{Script/Arabic|إيرز}}

| image = Erez ii.jpg

| imgsize = 200

| caption = Erez in early 1949

| founded = 1949 (original location)
1950 (current location)

| founded_by = Noar HaOved Members

| country = {{flag|Israel}}

| district = south

| council = Shaʽar HaNegev

| affiliation = Kibbutz Movement

| popyear = {{Israel populations|Year}}

| population = {{Israel populations|Erez}}

| population_footnotes={{Israel populations|reference}}

| pushpin_map=Israel ashkelon#Israel |pushpin_mapsize=250

|coordinates = {{coord|31|33|36|N|34|33|58|E|display=inline,title}}

| website = {{URL|www.erez.org.il}}

|settlement_type=Kibbutz|pushpin_label_position=right}}

Erez ({{langx|he|אֶרֶז}}, {{Literal translation|cedar}}) is a kibbutz in southwestern Israel. Located just {{Convert|1|km|mi}} north of the Gaza Strip, it is the namesake of the nearby Erez Crossing.

The kibbutz was founded in 1949 and moved to its current location in 1950. In 2019, it had a population of 558.{{Israel populations|reference}}

Located in the northwestern Negev around {{Convert|18|km|mi}} south of the coastal city of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Shaʽar HaNegev Regional Council.

History

Erez is named after the first group that settled the kibbutz, who were members of the Noar HaOved from Petah Tikva.Hareuveni, Imanuel (2010). [https://kotar.cet.ac.il/KotarApp/Viewer.aspx?nBookID=93576566#58.9906.6.default Eretz Israel Lexicon] (in Hebrew). Matach. p. 58. It was founded in 1949.

Archaeological discoveries from Erez include a statue of a griffin with a Greek dedication by a priest, dating to 210/211 AD. Additionally, fragments of Greek inscriptions, one potentially Latin, have been found here.{{Citation |title=XXI. Erez |date=2014-07-14 |work=Volume 3 South Coast: 2161-2648 |pages=373–376 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110337679.373/html |access-date=2024-02-25 |publisher=De Gruyter |language=en |doi=10.1515/9783110337679.373 |isbn=978-3-11-033767-9|url-access=subscription }}

= 1948 Arab-Israeli war =

Before the founding of the kibbutz the Palestinian village of Dimrah (Arabic: دمرة) existed on the same land,{{cite web |author=Lieut C.R Conder, H.H Kitchener |date=1878-05-01 |title=Palestine Exploration Fund Map: Ascalon/Gaza |url=http://www.iaa-archives.org.il/zoom/zoom.aspx?folder_id=93&type_id=6&id=8381 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=IAA Archives |publisher=The Israel Antiquities Authority |language=en}} with a population of 520 in 1945.{{cite web |date=1945-04-01 |title=GAZA Sub-District VILLAGE STATISTICS -1945 |url=http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VSpages/VS1945_p31.jpg |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=Australian National University |language=en}} On October 31, 1948, during the 1948 Palestine War, the village evacuated all women and children.{{cite book | first = Benny |last = Morris | title=The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited |date=2004 |location = New York, USA|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uM_kFX6edX8C&pg=PA76 |access-date=2024-03-03 |publisher=Cambridge University Press| page = 176 |quote = The invasion by the Arab states prompted fresh evacuations of dependents by communities fearful that they, too, would now be engulfed in war.... Evacuations of women and children continued, but with much less frequency, during the second half of the war – by which time the Arabs should have understood that it was detrimental to their interests. In late June – early July, for example, the ALA ordered the evacuation of women and children from Ma‘lul and Mujeidil, apparently to make room for in-coming ALA contingents and in preparation for anticipated offensive operations. Ma‘lul and Mujeidil sent their children and womenfolk to Nazareth; a similar evacuation apparently took place in the other villages in the area. Regarding Ma’lul, the ALA was apparently angered by the villagers’ declaration that they would cooperate with any government in control, and would not participate in fighting. ALA troops beat villagers and killed cattle and sheep – causing a panic flight..... And on 31 October, the villagers of Dimra, near Gaza, reportedly evacuated their women and children, probably in response to the nearby IDF advance. |isbn=978-0-521-00967-6}} Nothing specific is known of when the men left. However, the Arab Liberation Army often required men to stay and fight alongside its armed forces, all of whom would have been forced to withdraw if, as at Dimra, they were defeated.

=2023 Hamas attack=

On 7 October 2023, the kibbutz was attacked in the opening stage of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. The kibbutz security team repulsed the attack in an hours-long battle, losing one of its members, Amir Naim. Two others were injured and received treatment outside the kibbutz.[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1yx3zhwt Untrained, lacking proper arms, local security teams defended their Gaza border homes]

The security team of Kibbutz assembled to prevent the Hamas soldiers from entering the kibbutz through the main gate. After contacting the IDF they were informed that no help is coming. A firefight involving rifles, grenades and RPGs ensued.

The whole kibbutz was evacuated to a Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon. After several weeks, makeshift schools were established. Since then the kibbutz population was relocated to Kiryat Gat.Kibbutz movement in crisis Larry Barzelai

Economy

The kibbutz has three main industries: agriculture (arable and fruit farming as well as animal husbandry), manufacturing (Erez Thermoplastics Products manufactures plastic-covered materials), and research and development.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}}

ErezDinningRoom03.jpg|The Dining Room

ErezDinningRoom01.jpg|The Dining Room

ErezDinningRoom02.jpg|The Dining Room

ErezProtected-space.jpg|Protected space near the dining room