The Gates of Gaza

A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel's Borderlands

By: Amir Tibon

Narrated by: Amir Tibon

The gripping true story of how leading Israeli journalist Amir Tibon, along with his wife and their two young children, were rescued from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023 by Tibon’s own father—an incredible tale of survival that also reveals the deep tensions and systemic failures that led to Hamas’s attacks that day.

On the morning of October 7, Amir Tibon and his wife were awakened by mortar rounds exploding near their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, a progressive Israeli community less than a mile from Gaza City. Soon, they were holding their two young daughters in the family’s reinforced safe room, urging them not to cry as gunfire echoed just outside the door. With his cell phone battery running low, Amir texted his father: “The girls are behaving really well, but I’m worried they’ll lose patience soon and Hamas will hear us.”

Some 45 miles north, Amir’s parents had just cut short an early morning swim along the shores of Tel Aviv. Now, they jumped in their Jeep and sped toward Nahal Oz, armed only with a pistol but intent on saving their family at all costs.

In The Gates of Gaza, Amir Tibon tells this harrowing story in full for the first time. He describes his family's ordeal—and the bravery that ultimately led to their rescue—alongside the histories of the place they call home and the systems of power that have kept them and their neighbors in Gaza in harm’s way for decades.

Woven throughout is Tibon's own expertise as a longtime international correspondent, as well as more than thirty original interviews: with residents of his kibbutz, with the Israeli soldiers who helped to wrest it from the hands of Hamas, and with experts on Gaza, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the failed peace process. More than one family's odyssey, The Gates of Gaza is the intimate story of a tight-knit community and the broader saga of war, occupation, and hostility between two national movements—a conflict that has not yet extinguished the enduring hope for peace.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Amir Tibon (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“A riveting minute by minute account of one of Israel’s darkest days, Amir Tibon’s telling of his family’s horrific ordeal—hiding for hours while terrorists overtook his kibbutz—is captivating. His father’s heroic mission to rescue them, woven together with the storied and bloodied history of the kibbutz, makes for a remarkable read.”—Bianna Golodryga, Anchor and Senior Global Affairs Analyst, CNN

“Amir Tibon has captured the horror and hope of October 7 in this compelling story of Hamas’ murderous rampage across southern Israel, of his family’s agonizing experience in their safe room while terrorists roamed outside, and of the heroism of his father, Noam, who came to their rescue. The Gates of Gaza would be an engrossing read if it were fiction; the fact that it is a true story is simply extraordinary.”—Daniel Kurtzer, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt

Fascinating and enlightening

It was so enlightening to hear the first-hand account of the experiences at Nahal Oz and all that was and was not happening on the ground. The history of Nahal Oz and of Hamas’s enrichment by Qatar were fascinating. The role of Israel’s leaders, especially Bibi was unknown to me. I learned a tremendous amount and was fully engaged throughout the book. The author’s narration was excellent.

I could not stop listening

The terrifying events of Nahal Oz and the Timon family on October 7 propels the story. Sandwiched between the terrifying story Tibon provides the context. A journalist (at Haaretz), Tibon carefully consults professional historians. The result is an excellent history of Israel’s road to October 7.

Chilling and full of history

This book is a great way to learn not only about the stories of October 7th, it also delves into the history of Israel’s wars and the creation of the kibutzim.

Beautiful and hopeful writing that was born from a tragedy

The stories are so awful, yet so well written as Tibon bears witness to a terrible tragedy. I cried through many of the stories. The history is also thoughtfully told, revealing so much beneath the surface of the politics that led to Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and the border kibbutzim in general. Excellent book.

Wonderful book about a terrible day

Tibon masterfully weaves together the events of October 7th and the decades of geopolitical michegas that led up to it. He manages to be deeply personal without being navel gazey - a tough balance to pull off. Tibon’s mother and especially father will rightfully be remembered as two of the biggest heroes of 10/7.

Crisp writing with narration that’s easy on the ears - early on, was wondering as an American if I’d eventually tire of the Israeli accent, but I never did.

Congratulations to the author on writing a book I think people will still be reading many years from now.

And thanks to Dan Senor / Call Me Back (a great podcast btw) for introducing me to Amir and leading me to his book.

- American Goy Guy

The Human Weapon Against Lies and Injustice

October 7, 2023, will forever be remembered as a day of national trauma. This trauma stems from nearly two decades of leadership failure, where the decay of the public system is evident through the systematic appointment of unqualified, inexperienced, and undereducated people to lead institutions designed to serve citizens. This is the result when the good people leave, and positions of power are filled by those who, in any other context, wouldn't have been hired for even the most basic roles or the lowest positions in any organization. It's what happens when the public fails to stand on guard and only wakes up when it's too late, after the high toll of casualties is all over news screens. This is a living example of the dangers faced by democracies that don't know how to defend themselves from criminals and fanatics who infiltrate and take over the system from the inside.

Personal stories are the human weapon that will ultimately defeat the circle of lies of those who do not know, are not qualified, and will never be fit to run a country. These stories are the memories that will endure for generations, and every single one of them must be told. Every grave holds an entire world, and the world deserves to know each person we lost prematurely, as well as the stories of the survivors.

History and personal stories continue to fascinate me, and I find myself constantly listening to books on these topics. So, keep going as well. There's no end to the knowledge you can acquire, and it's something everyone should pursue continuously.

If you're curious to read more stories, I weave together episodes from my life with the rich tapestry of Israeli culture through music, food, arts, entrepreneurship, and more. I invite you to subscribe to The Liat Show on Substack: My Journey to Infinity - a story unfolding across timelines.

Fantastic combination of history and personal account

This book is a fantastic one-two punch of the history of the Gaza region and border area, while combining a heroic tale of what their family lived through on 10/7. Much of the details of the kibbutz history is new and fascinating. Highly recommend.

Humanity

Surprising lack of anger and seemingly balanced history of the Gaza envelope settlement and events of 10/7 with compassion towards Israeli and Arab victims of Hamas and failed Israeli policy. Current events contextualized with historical perspective.

Needs more than 5 stars

Amir Tibon is one of my favorite journalists at the HaAretz newspaper. When I learned that he wrote a book about his October 7 experience as a resident of kibbutz Nahal Oz I knew it was going to be fantastic. The story of his dad, former IDF general, coming to the rescue is now part of the historical canon in Israel.
The book has surpassed all my expectations.
Amir has a deep knowledge of the country’s history on the Jewish Arab conflict topic. Here, he masterfully weaves the minute-by minute account of living through 10.7 with logical blocks of time in history, explaining Israel’s politics around the conflict, with particular highlights on Gaza and Nir Oz.
I haven’t been able to “function”, since I started listening to the book, it is riveting. The narration transports the listener directly to the day and the scene of the disaster.
I haven read several excellent books on the history of the Middle East conflict, but Amir manages to summarize it in a way that makes sense, provides perspective and at the same time doesn’t cut corners, thus maintaining the impossible complexity of this seemingly unsolvable situation.
Moreover, Amir succeeds in painting the picture of Netanyahu, in all his monstrous, megalomaniacal, increasingly psychopathic obsession to maintain power at all costs, while also describing the man’s transformation from a shrewd, narcissistic politician to a dangerous, obsessed man who will sell everything and everyone in order to achieve his personal interests above absolutely everything.

Moving eye witness account in the context of Israeli Gaza history

I learned so much about what led up to the October 7th attack on the Israeli border with Gaza and particularly the history of the conflict. So much violence and suffering on both sides since 1948!
Told with love and ckarity though truthfully I ser little hope in the tale.