Jerusalem, Hamas — It was a leisurely evening. Thousands of young men and women congregated carefree to dance in a vast field in southern Israel, close to the Gaza border. Both familiar and unfamiliar companions rose in delight at the whirling bass-heavy rhythms.
Maya Alper and groups of environmentally conscientious volunteers were positioned in the rear of the bar, collecting trash and distributing complimentary vodka shots to guests who utilized their cups. A light-blue dawn broke shortly after 6:00 a.m., and the headlining DJ took the stage as air raid sirens interrupted the ethereal trap music. Above, rockets raced by.
Alper, 24, hurried to the main road after leaping into her vehicle. However, she confronted throngs of distraught festivalgoers at the intersection who were yelling at motorists to reverse. Following that, a murmur. Was it exploding fireworks? In pools of blood, terrified men and women staggering down the road before she collapsed. Active fire.
The open-air music festival Tribe of Nova will be remembered as the deadliest civilian atrocity in Israeli history. Young Israelis gathered for a festive evening of electronic music were met with gunfire from dozens of Hamas militants who had breached the heavily fortified separation fence separating Israel and Gaza and entered the country. Sure, attendees were intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, which exacerbated their bewilderment and fear.
“We were hiding and running, hiding and running, in an open field, which was the most undesirable location one could have been in that situation,” said Arik Nani, a Tel Aviv native who attended the birthday celebration. “In a nation where each individual in these circles is acquainted with every other, this is an unfathomable trauma.”
Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260.
Revelers reported that militants gathered in the open field as missiles descended while others awaited near bomb shelters, opening fire on individuals attempting to seek refuge. Hamas militants also targeted Israeli communities bordering the festival grounds in Saturday’s unprecedented surprise attack. Dozens of men, women, and children, including the elderly and disabled, were abducted, while scores more were killed.
The festival’s tragic toll became evident early Monday morning when personnel from Israel’s rescue service Zaka reported recovering at least 260 bodies. Festival organizers said they assisted Israeli security forces in locating the remaining AWOL attendees. As the operation to evacuate the area continues, the fatality count may increase.
Alper drew a few disoriented-appearing revelers from the street into her vehicle as the carnage unfurled in front of her and accelerated in the opposite direction. As one of them reported losing his wife in the unrest, Alper was compelled to prevent him from exiting the vehicle in an attempt to locate her. Another individual said she had just witnessed Hamas gunmen murder her closest friend. Another individual swayed in his seat and repeatedly murmured, “We will die.” Through the review mirror, Alper observed the dance floor, where she had just spent several hours in ecstasy, disintegrating into a massive haze of black smoke.
She claimed there was no safety anywhere. As she continued her journey, explosions, hysterical cries, and automatic gunfire grew closer. Alper and her new companions arose from the vehicle and dashed through the air toward a clump of bushes when a man a few meters distant exclaimed, “God is great!”
Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260.
A projectile whistled past Alper’s left ear. Recognizing that the assailants would surpass her, she dove into an intricate maze of bushes. She reported seeing one of her passengers, the girl who had lost her companion, shriek and collapse as a gunman stood over her limp body, grinning as she peered through thorns.
“Their energy was beyond description; it was indisputable that they did not regard us as human beings,” she continued. “They beheld us with undeniable animosity.”
Alper and thousands of other concertgoers hid in the dark for over six hours as Hamas militants hurled grenades and automatic gunfire. The Israeli army did not assist.
Her extremities were entangled in the bush, so she could not move her toes. She intermittently overheard militants conversing in Arabic near her. Alper, a devoted yoga and meditation practitioner, stated that she concentrated on her breath, “praying and breathing in every way I could think of.”
“I exhaled any anger, fear, or vengeance that entered my mind,” she explained. “As I reflected on my gratitude, I reflected on the bush that provided such an effective hiding place, attracting even birds that continued to sing, and the sky that was an awe-inspiring shade of blue.”
Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260.
Alper, an Israeli tank instructor, recognized her safety upon perceiving an alternative type of explosion: the sound of a tank round fired by an Israeli army. When she yelled for assistance, soldiers emerged from the shrubbery to carry her out. A companion of hers was found lifeless and entombed around her. The girl she had observed collapsing from her vehicle was nowhere to be found; she suspects Hamas militants transported her into Gaza.
Alper stated that as the Israeli army approached the besieged kibbutz of Be’eri near the Gaza border to engage Hamas militants, it was uncertain how to proceed with her.
A pickup truck carrying Palestinian citizens of Israel pulled up at that instant. Men from the Bedouin city of Rahat were searching to locate Israeli survivors. They assisted Alper into their vehicle and transported her to the police station, where she sobbed uncontrollably in her father’s embrace.
“This is no ordinary war.” “This is hell,” exclaimed Alper. “However, despite that, I believe it is possible to justify our actions with love rather than fear.”
SOURCE – (AP)
