החיטה צומחת שוב

The October 7th Attack Left Thousands of Families Traumatically Affected and Displaced In the aftermath of the attack, an urgent need arose for rapid housing solutions for residents of the Gaza envelope region. Many of these solutions are temporary, such as caravan neighborhoods or relocation to shared housing complexes. However, research shows that such solutions can deepen social fractures and delay recovery. Social connections- critical for maintaining community cohesion, tend to weaken when communities are uprooted and scattered. The pain and memories that now define the image of the Gaza envelope, an area I once knew as flourishing and thriving, have weighed heavily on me. Building on research on post-disaster recovery, field visits, and interviews with residents, I aim in this project to offer a new approach to housing for the displaced, leveraging this rupture as an opportunity for healing and growth. The focus of this project is the area between Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Sa'ad—two communities with distinct identities, one secular and the other religious. In normal times, they have maintained strong friendships and mutual support, set amid beautiful natural landscapes and a thriving agricultural economy. These shared values are at the heart of the recovery plan, aiming to preserve the collective identity of the region and use temporary construction as a stepping stone toward sustainable development. The project proposes resettling Kfar Aza’s residents in the space between the two kibbutzim, using a flexible housing model that can evolve with the needs and future development of the communities. This approach transforms temporary housing into a long-term asset for the region. The plan also addresses the psychological impact of Highway 232, a road which has become a traumatic symbol for the area, by covering it to create a physical connection between the two kibbutzim. This connection will be enhanced by a landscape corridor stretching between the community centers of both kibbutzim, creating a new shared space. At the heart of this corridor, the project proposes establishing an agricultural university and a resilience center specializing in therapeutic agriculture. This new hub will foster collaboration between the two communities, helping them reconnect and serving as a springboard for both economic recovery and social renewal.