Two years and four months after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel’s south, the Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday lifted all restrictions in the Be’eri Forest, allowing for the reopening of its cycling trails.
“The trails were closed following the events of Oct. 7 and fighting that took place in the border region—since then, entry to the area had been prohibited,” said the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund.
The organization noted that the reopening of the bicycle paths marked “another stage in the gradual return to routine” in the Gaza Envelope.
“The reopening of the cycling trails in Be’eri Forest is far more than a sports event; it is a victory of the Israeli spirit,” said KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky. “In a place where we experienced unimaginable pain about two years and four months ago, life is now beating once again.”
One hundred and one residents of Kibbutz Be’eri were murdered by Hamas-led terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. Thirty were taken as hostages.
Seven months ago, the IDF canceled an order declaring towns near the border with Gaza a closed military zone. The decision enabled civilians to enter the villages surrounding Gaza without restrictions for the first time since the start of the fighting.
Residents of the region were told recently that their communities would no longer be part of the closed zone, though some roads will remain off-limits for civilians amid continuing ground operations in the Strip.
