Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers wrote this article on Nov. 28, 2016, after visiting the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, the militant group that has controlled the Palestinian territory since 2007, on Saturday launched a surprise attack into Israel.
NEAR MEFALSIM, Israel — The weather in Mefalsim, a kibbutz on the edge of the Negev Desert, was unseasonably warm on Nov. 21.
An irrigation pipe in freshly tilled farmland that was along a narrow road glistened in the bright morning sun. Birds chirped as a warm breeze blew towards the nearby Mediterranean Sea.