Mother of Kidnapped Yotam Hayim Condemns Workers Defiling His Family Home in Kibbutz

Iris Hayim, mother of Yotam Hayim who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7 and later accidentally shot by the IDF after escaping, revealed a disturbing incident involving her son's house. She exposed that while the kibbutz is trying to recover, workers from a nearby construction site have been using her son's home and other houses of fallen soldiers as toilets. Despite providing proper restroom facilities, the workers continue this disrespectful behavior.

In an interview with "Hadashot HaBoker," Hayim expressed her shock and sorrow, describing the homes as sacred places and comparing the act to defiling a synagogue. She emphasized that the houses are locked and mostly closed to visitors, but her family allowed access to educate people about what happened. Hayim called on the construction company Epstein to remove these workers and conduct a thorough review of their employment practices.

Hayim also mentioned contacting Boaz Barzilai, CEO of the Tekuma Forum, who promised immediate action, and reached out to Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and Minister Elkin, awaiting their response. She stressed the importance of preserving the neighborhood as a memorial site rather than demolishing it, opposing plans to tear down the houses and advocating for their conversion into a museum.

The kibbutz issued a statement condemning the act as severe and disgraceful, confirming efforts to identify the responsible individuals through security footage, though no one has been conclusively identified yet. They have increased surveillance and plan to fence the Dor Tzair neighborhood to control access and prevent recurrence.

This incident highlights tensions around the preservation and respect of sites linked to victims of the October 7 attacks and the ongoing challenges faced by the kibbutz community in balancing recovery and commemoration.