TEL AVIV: Around 260 people were killed in a Hamas attack at the Nova Music Festival, an outdoor music festival organised near Kibbutz Re'im close to Gaza, on Sunday. The music festival, which was being celebrated to mark the end of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, drew around 3,000 people mostly young Israelis. Israeli rescue service Zaka said that its paramedics have removed around 260 bodies from the music festival.
A video capturing the incident has gained widespread attention on micro-blogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The harrowing footage depicts chaotic scenes, with terrified partygoers fleeing as missiles headed towards the festival venue and Hamas militants breached Israeli territory.
Missiles were seen flying towards the Music Festival in Israel when the Hamas Militants stormed the Israeli territory #Israel #Palestine #War #Hamas #Rockets #Gaza #Palestinian#TelAviv #IsraelUnderAttack #IDF #Lebanon #Jerusalem #Hezbollah pic.twitter.com/b7rXVavvrI
— T R U T H P O L E (@Truthpole) October 9, 2023
Terrorists surrounded the festival participants and unleashed a barrage of rifle fire, resulting in dozens of casualties. Subsequently, they combed the area, targeting those in hiding for execution or capture, as detailed in a report by The Times of Israel.
Praying for the people of Israel pic.twitter.com/lvmDv4ko7K
LoLo (@ZOrtiz99) October 7, 2023
Arik Nani, an Israeli citizen, recounted the horrific experience, stating, "I heard shots from every direction, they were firing at us from both sides. Everyone was running and didn't know what to do. It was total chaos," as reported by Reuters.
Amid the rocket explosions, panicked attendees made desperate attempts to escape the perilous situation. "Missiles were seen heading towards the music festival in Israel as Hamas militants stormed the Israeli territory," shared a user while posting the video on social media. Another video showcased people frantically running for safety as missiles were launched.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in over 1,100 casualties thus far. Israel has reported over 700 fatalities, while Gaza has witnessed at least 413 deaths. Additionally, Hamas has taken over 100 hostages.
At the Nature Party venue alone, Israeli media reported the recovery of 260 bodies by emergency services. The extent of the tragedy came to light only the following morning, illustrating the broader impact of the event on the entire southern region, as Maariv noted.
In one video, a 25-year-old Israeli woman, Noa Argamani, was seen being forcibly taken away on a motorcycle by a Hamas militant, desperately pleading for her life. Her boyfriend watched helplessly as Argamani was captured.
Noa was partying in the south of Israel in a peace music festival when Hams terrorists kidnapped her and dragged her from Israel into Gaza.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 7, 2023
Noa is held hostage by Hamas.
She could be your daughter, sister, friend.#BringBackOurFamily pic.twitter.com/gi2AStVdTQ
Another distressing video showed Hamas parading the battered and unclothed body of Shani Louk, a female German tattoo artist, in a pickup truck. Shockingly, one of the terrorists was seen spitting on her lifeless body. Shani's sister, Adi Louk, confirmed her identity in the video, and their mother appealed for information regarding her whereabouts.
A Hamas insider revealed to Reuters that the militant group had engaged in a long-term campaign to deceive Israel, giving the impression of avoiding armed conflict while secretly preparing for this extensive operation. "Hamas used an unprecedented intelligence tactic to mislead Israel over the last months, by giving a public impression that it was not willing to go into a fight or confrontation with Israel while preparing for this massive operation," the source explained.
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