Bedouin Family Navigates Grief and Daily Struggles Three Years After October 7
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Three years after October 7th, the Abu Sbeileh family in the Bedouin village of Abu Talul mourns the loss of nephews Omar and Musa, killed in the attacks. The family also faces ongoing challenges with home demolitions, poor infrastructure, and a lack of government support, while striving to maintain hope for the future.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Two nephews, Omar and Musa Abu Sbeileh, were killed on October 7th.
- The family is coping with grief and supporting orphaned children.
- The community faces ongoing issues with home demolitions.
- Poor infrastructure and lack of services plague the Bedouin village.
- The uncle established a kindergarten but can no longer fund it.
Three years after the October 7th attacks, Ali Abu Sbeileh, a 66-year-old resident of the Bedouin village of Abu Talul, is still grappling with the loss of his nephews, Omar and Musa Abu Sbeileh. The family was observing the final day of a mourning tent for an elder when the attacks began. Amidst the initial confusion, they learned that Omar and Musa were in the area. Omar was killed while attempting to help a woman and her two children reach the Sderot police station, where they came under fire. Musa was also killed near the Re'im junction after his vehicle was hit and he was unable to be evacuated.
Omar, described as a leader among his friends and a weekend guard in Sderot, left behind three young children, one born five months after his death. Musa had six children. The family is working to preserve their memory while supporting the orphaned children, some of whom are still processing the trauma.
Beyond the personal tragedy, the Abu Sbeileh family, like many Bedouin communities, faces ongoing struggles with government policies. Ali Abu Sbeileh recounts the demolition of a house he built for his son, who had to postpone his wedding due to the demolition order. The constant threat of demolitions instills fear in children, who associate any approaching police or tractors with destruction. He also highlights the poor infrastructure in their recognized village, including unpaved roads and a lack of basic services, which impacts education and daily life.
Despite these hardships, Ali Abu Sbeileh has taken initiative, converting his former grocery store into a kindergarten for five years, though he can no longer sustain it without official support. He maintains hope for the future, emphasizing the need for compromise and reconciliation, and expresses a desire to build a home and raise his family. He also notes that while some Jewish friends have maintained contact, visits have become less frequent.