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Places (POIs) visited during this tour

Place #1
Distance: 0.00mi , Attraction : Starting Point of the tour
Map Pin
34, Israel
POI 1 Tour Image
Yad Mordechai Junction
We have arrived at the starting point of our tour following the events of October 7, 2023. Here you have an opportunity to stop, use the restrooms, and buy water, coffee, or a pastry for the road.

From here, we will continue to Moshav Netiv HaAsara, where 20 residents were brutally murdered on the morning of October 7, 2023.

  https://www.google.com/maps/place/%D7%A7%D7%A4%D7%94+%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%98%D7%A3%E2%80%AD/@31.5881393,34.5645866,15z/data=!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x15028245b3fc3
Place #2
Distance: 0.07mi , Attraction : A view of the Gaza Strip
Map Pin
56, Netiv HaAsara, Israel
POI 8 Tour Image
Nir Press look-out
Welcome to the Nir Peres Lookout in Netiv HaAsara.
You can read more about Nir Peres—who, by the way, was my commander in the IDF—on the sign next to the shelter.

From this point, you can immediately understand how small the distances are here, and how closely Israeli civilian life existed alongside the Gaza Strip.
As you stand at the lookout, turn your gaze to the left and look southward.

Can you see the northern edge of the Gaza Strip? If you look carefully, you can spot the separation barrier between Israel and Gaza, running from the Mediterranean coast in the distance all the way to the houses with the red roof tiles—the edge of this moshav. You can clearly see the straight line of the barrier cutting through the sand dunes and marking the boundary between Israel and Gaza.

The built-up urban area in the far distance to the south is Gaza City. The flat landscape stretching between the barrier and Gaza City was once home to the Palestinian towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip. Much of that area was heavily damaged during the war that followed the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and now lies in ruins.

Looking west, straight ahead, you can see the Mediterranean Sea on a clear day. Slightly to the right is the Rutenberg Power Station, a major electricity facility serving southern Israel. For many years, the station was targeted by Hamas missile attacks, even though it also supplied electricity to the Gaza Strip. Can you see the jetties used by ships unloading coal for the station? In the past, they were also used by oil tankers unloading oil into the Iranian-Israeli pipeline that stretched from Ashkelon to Eilat, built to bypass the Suez Canal during the time of the Shah, before the Islamic Revolution. Today, much of Israel’s electricity is generated from natural gas extracted from the Mediterranean Sea.

Further to the right lies Ashkelon, and farther north is the port of Ashdod.

The greenhouses you see in front of you belong to farmers from the moshav. Netiv HaAsara is well known for its agricultural expertise, including seed production and farming in sandy soil. This knowledge was developed over many years, beginning when the community was originally established in the Sinai Peninsula. Following the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, the village was evacuated from Sinai in 1982 and re-established here, next to the Gaza border.

Netiv HaAsara is a moshav—a close-knit rural agricultural community—but it is different from a kibbutz. In a moshav, each family runs its own household and usually its own economic activity independently, although there is often cooperation within the community. In a kibbutz, at least traditionally, property, work, and income were shared collectively. The simplest way to explain it is this: a moshav is cooperative but family-based, while a kibbutz is communal and collective.

Since 2001 people living IN THIS VILLAGE have endured sniper fire, tunnel threats, mortar attacks, missile fire, and rocket fire. Thousands of projectiles have landed in and around this community over the years. Residents used to TELL ME that life here was 99 percent heaven and 1 percent hell.

On October 7, everything changed.
That morning, Netiv HaAsara was one of the first Israeli communities to be attacked. At 6:30 a.m., a massive barrage of rocket fire hit the village, accompanied by nonstop sirens. Three Hamas terrorists infiltrated the moshav using paragliders, and one of them landed near this area. They entered the community, attempted to break into homes, and murdered 20 residents. A broader ground assault was blocked by the security barrier, sparing the community from even greater devastation.

From here, we will drive to the memorial site dedicated to the murdered members of this community. Please return to your cars, and let us continue to the next stop.

Read More
Tour itinerary stops | Additional places you'll see on this self-guided tour

Map Pin Place 1 Yad Mordechai Junction
Map Pin Place 2 Nir Press look-out
Map Pin Place 3 Road side shelter
Map Pin Place 4 Kibbutz Mefalsim
Map Pin Place 5 Black Arrow Lookout
Map Pin Place 6 Kfar Azza
Map Pin Place 7 The Female Lookouts Observation Point
Map Pin Place 8 Kibbutz Alumim
Map Pin Place 9 Nova Festival Site
Map Pin Place 10 Tkuma Burned Cars Site
Map Pin Place 11 On our way to Sderot
Map Pin Place 12 Sderot (Part 2)
Map Pin Place 13 Sderot (Part 3)
Map Pin Place 14 Sderot Police Building Memorial
Map Pin Place 15 Hummus Restaurant



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Have any questions about this tour? Or a general travel / self-guided tours question? That's completely natural

+ How long does this tour take?
Most travelers complete this tour in approximately 2 to 3 hours, depending on pace, time spent at each stop, and optional detours. Having said that, please remember that self-guided tours are extremly flexible (you can start, pause, continue anytime) and everyone has their own pace.
+ What does this tour include?
This self-guided driving tour includes 16 stops, covering top attractions such as Yad Mordechai Junction, Nir Press look-out, Road side shelter, Kibbutz Mefalsim, Black Arrow Lookout.
+ Where does the tour start?
The tour starts at Yad Mordechai Junction (Address: 34, Israel). You can begin the tour there or join from any stop along the route.
+ What type of tour is this?
This is a self-guided driving tour designed to be completed by car, covering scenic routes, city highlights and optional key stops.
+ Can I do this tour at my own pace?
Yes, this is a self-guided driving tour, so you can start anytime and explore at your own pace. You can pause, skip stops, or spend more time at places that interest you. You can even split it into multiple days. Explore however feels right for you. The only vaiables that might affect your pace are speed limits and traffic congestion.
+ Do I need a car for this tour?
Yes, this is a driving tour, designed to be completed by car, with stops spread across different locations connected by a driving route.
+ Do I need anything in order to take the tour?
There are two things that you need - <b>1.</b> A mobile phone (with the UCPlaces app installed and active location services, and a cellular data plan with a decent signal for downloading the tour). <b>2.</b> A car. Here are some recommendations for a great experience: 1. Make sure your phone is fully charged and bring a charging cable for your car. 2. Connect your phone to the car speaker system via bluetooth or use our CarPlay/Android Auto option for the best experience.
+ How will I navigate from point to point during the tour?
The tour uses GPS-based navigation through the UCPlaces app, with automatic audio playback and step-by-step directions between stops. This works great either directly from your phone, or while connected to your car's multimedia system and using our CarPlay or Android Auto options. Just follow the route and listen to the audio guide. Use the resume feature to continue from where you recently stopped (or closed the app). Easily skip or go back to stops.
+ Is this tour suitable for families or groups?
Yes, self-guided tours are ideal for families and small groups, allowing everyone to explore comfortably without being tied to a fixed schedule.
+ What makes a self-guided tour better than a guided tour?
Self-guided tours are more flexible, affordable, and personalized. You can avoid crowds, choose your pace, and focus on the stops that interest you most.
+ I installed the app and it's now asking for GPS and media access permissions, why?
The app is your tour-guide, it needs to know where you are located on the map to be able to trigger the points of interest. It also needs access to audio and media files to provide you with this experience.
+ What happens if there are unexpected roadblocks or navigation issues?
We have been working hard to deliver a great experience. Though you may run into unexpected obstacles (the world is constantly changing), our app has multiple features and mechanisms in place to help you overcome them, including: AI assistance, force play an audio if you can't reach the stop, skip or return to stops, automatic rerouting and more.
+ Can I take the tour in my language?
Though all of our tours are primarily in English, many tours are muyltilingual (including: Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Hebrew, French, Arabic and more...). The tour language options depend on the specific tour - You can easily check which languages are available in the tour screen!