The rat-a-tat firing of guns silenced the strings of the guitar at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 and within minutes the concert ground became the graveyard of 360 Israeli music lovers. The Hamas terror attack meant that those who chose the music festival in Kibbutz area over the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah would not return home to their loved ones.
According to the locals and friends of the victims, terrorists surrounded the ground from all sides and started firing with sophisticated weapons. They also threw grenades in waves. The Hamas terrorists then abducted several Israeli nationals from the Nova site. Locals said those who were wounded but were trying to drag themselves to safety were shot point blank by the terrorists.
Tehila, a mother of three, told News18 that her daughter was supposed to attend the music festival with her friends, skipped the event at the last minute. “My daughter was supposed to attend the event, but she cancelled at the last minute. But unfortunately, two of her friends were killed by Hamas terrorists at the site. I have come here for the prayer. May we get back all the hostages soon. They killed those who were injured and were dragging themselves towards safe areas. They fired at the injured people’s heads,” she said.
The site in Israel’s Negev Desert is close to the Gaza border and is also near the Kibbutz Be’eri area which saw the bloodbath first. It’s an open ground in an isolated area and looks like a bare playground. The victims had parked their cars nearby which were also targeted by Hamas terrorists.
“An ambulance was there at the Nova festival site for medical help as part of the preparation for the festival. When Hamas terrorists started firing, 18 people tried to take shelter in the ambulance. But the terrorists spotted them and started firing at them. They fired RPGs, lobbed grenades and set the ambulance on fire. All 18 met their deaths like this. Most of them were burnt. Two bodies were even buried together by mistake. Later, when we got to know about it, we took out one body,” said Elinor Kogen Levy, a tour guide.
“Amid the heavy firing, a young boy left in his car for a safe place. He saw a group struggling to save themselves and signalled to them to come to his car. He dropped them at a safe place, went back to the site and picked up another group and dropped them safely at a nearby area. He was on his phone talking to his family constantly. His family was asking him not to go back, but he again went back for a friend. The terrorists saw him and fired multiple rounds at his car. He died there itself with his friend,” Levy said.
1,560 Burnt Vehicles
The burnt vehicles have been kept at a compound near the Nova site. The compound consists of 1,560 vehicles evacuated from the Gaza Enclave’s roads and communities in the weeks following the October 7 attack.
The compound was originally established as a logistical solution, providing storage to vehicles evacuated from the region’s roads, to ensure they remain clear and allow the military forces’ operational movement.
“The evacuation of the vehicles was led by the Home Front Command officers and soldiers in coordination with the Netivei Israel company, and in cooperation with property tax personnel who seized the vehicles to identify, and later compensate, their owners. The vehicles that were brought to the compound went through a comprehensive process on their original location and again on the compound, including the disposal of hazardous devices such as explosives, grenades and other weapons that could harm the personnel handling the vehicles, the collection of the victim’s remains to be brought to proper burial, and collection of the vehicle occupants’ personal belongings and identifying objects, cameras and intelligence information that could provide better understanding of the events,” the Israel Government said.
Each vehicle carries in itself a story about families and friends, about love and sorrow, about lives lived and promises unfulfilled.
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