The Hamas attack left many Israeli farms abandoned — some worry forever

Volunteers work at a dairy farm near Nir Oz, one of the communities attacked on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants, in southern Israel on Wednesday. People from Israel and around the world have been rotating in to volunteer at the farm, helping fill the gap left by the workers who are no longer here. (Tamir Kalifa for NPR)

NIR OZ, Israel — At a dairy farm a few miles from the Gaza border, hundreds of cows are being herded into milking stations as the sound of Israeli airstrikes reverberate through the morning air.

Since Hamas fighters swept through this area on Oct. 7, killing or kidnapping a total of 1,200 people, Israel says, the bombing has become commonplace — even more so since Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city located nearly due west of here, has become a focus of the conflict.