Revisiting Horror: Israeli Festival Survivor Recounts Hamas Carnage
Aliza Samuel cautiously navigates the remnants of the Israeli festival, collecting a bracelet and stumbling upon delicate clay trinkets crafted at the Nova Music Festival Amidst the chaos, nowhere to seek refuge, the aftermath bears witness to unimaginable devastation and loss
Aliza Samuel navigates cautiously amidst the scattered wreckage, diligently collecting a discarded bracelet. Her path leads her to a collection of delicate clay trinkets, meticulously crafted during the renowned Nova Music Festival.
"People abandoned their possessions in haste," Samuel remarks. "(Hamas) ruthlessly dismantled everything."
After almost a month, the 24-year-old who witnessed the festival-goers massacre in Reim, southern Israel by Hamas militants, has finally left her home. She is returning to the place where she saw four of her friends being murdered, accompanied by CNN. Following the assault on October 7, which claimed the lives of at least 1,400 people in Israel, over 260 bodies were discovered at the scene, making it one of the deadliest Hamas attacks. Despite the pain, she believes it is crucial for her to revisit the location and ensure the world is aware of what transpired there.
But the terror of it all soon comes flooding back.
"I hear everything," she says. "I hear the screaming, I hear the bikes, and I hear the gunshots."
Aliza Samuel, 24, returned to the site of the deadly Nova festival attack by Hamas militants, in southern Israel, on October 7.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Traumatized but trying to process her experience, she recalls the moment that she has played over and over in her mind.
"I witnessed one of my acquaintances, desperately pleading for her life," she recounts. "She implored him repeatedly, begging him not to end her life, not to end her life, not to end her life. Yet, their hearts remained cold, and instead, they relished in laughter."
She proceeds to describe how, as the sun began to rise, her four companions were compelled to form a line and obediently kneel down on the dry, desolate soil of a barren field.
She said that she, hidden behind the trees, heard the last word her friends heard from their killers - "Enjoy," uttered in English by the Hamas militants who cruelly laughed before brutally shooting the three men and one woman at close range.
A few hours ago, the friends were dancing and enjoying themselves together only a few hundred meters away at the festival. The festival was promoted as a joyful gathering to commemorate the Jewish holiday Sukkot, emphasizing "unity and love."
Smoke billows from an explosion in Gaza on October 28, 2023, in Sderot, Israel. Following the devastating attacks by Hamas on October 7, resulting in 1,400 casualties and 200 individuals being taken hostage, Israel has initiated a sustained bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Additionally, they have threatened a ground invasion in order to eliminate the militant group that governs the Palestinian territory. However, various factors such as the fate of the hostages, including Israeli and foreign nationals held by Hamas, and international pressure concerning the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, have complicated Israel's military response to the attacks. The specific timeline for a potential ground invasion remains ambiguous.
Israel is currently engaged in a conflict with Hamas. Here is what you need to understand: The Hamas attackers managed to infiltrate Israel's defenses and reach the festival where thousands of young partygoers were attending. They utilized paragliders and motorbikes to massacre attendees and also took some individuals as hostages.
Israel has declared war on Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza and initiated the coordinated attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated a large-scale aerial bombardment of Gaza, launching air strikes, artillery fire, and employing helicopter gunships. This has been followed by a ground offensive.
The IDF claims its objective is to target the extensive underground tunnel system in Gaza that houses Hamas leaders, as well as their fighters and weapons. However, this onslaught has also resulted in a devastating impact on Palestinian civilians. According to the most recent data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, obtained from sources within the Hamas-controlled enclave, over 9,100 people, primarily women and children, have been killed in Gaza since October 7.
People had nowhere to run
Recalling the tumultuous event, Samuel retraces her steps back to the tent where she had been peacefully slumbering as the sun began its ascent. Abruptly aroused by the reverberating echoes of Hamas rockets hurtling through the skies from Gaza, she swiftly roused her companion from slumber, their hearts gripped with fear. With urgency propelling them forward, they hastily abandoned their tent in search of a sturdy concrete refuge.
Several festival attendees were either asleep or still dancing, oblivious to the alarm or deliberately disregarding it, entrusting their safety to Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.
However, Samuel and her companion were unwilling to risk it, prompting them to immediately flee. While seeking shelter, they were startled to observe Hamas militants descending from the sky on paragliders, firing at individuals as they touched down.
Dr Shlomo Gensler, a first responder, saved dozens of lives during Hamas' large-scale incursion.
Rebecca Wright from CNN reported that in a state of panic, the duo dashed through the expansive farmland that encircled the festival venue and took refuge in a ditch concealed by a row of towering trees. Samuel took on the task of soothing her friend's agitated state, effectively muffling any potential screams by clasping her hand over her mouth. As their comprehension of the unfolding situation grew, they noticed that there were others seeking safety behind the shelter of the trees, all making a concerted effort to remain as quiet as possible.
(Hamas) arrived from all directions," she stated. "(The individuals) had no escape."
"I witnessed Hamas gathering a group of individuals and approaching their leader, seeking permission to either kill or capture them," she recounted. "Once the victims were deceased, the violence did not cease; instead, they continued to mercilessly shoot at the lifeless bodies, causing them to convulse repeatedly from the impact of the bullets."
Samuel reported that the Hamas attackers primarily communicated in Arabic, although they occasionally switched to English. From the fragments she comprehended, she overheard them expressing a mix of bewilderment and satisfaction regarding their significant infiltration into Israel and the number of people they had successfully assaulted.
Following hours of concealing themselves in a ditch, Samuel and her companion eventually spotted military vehicles arriving, prompting them to seize the opportunity and flee through areas stained with "pools of blood." Eventually, they encountered Israeli soldiers who provided assistance in ensuring their safety.
Later, she learned that another male friend at the festival was also found dead - shot in the leg and then later beheaded at a nearby kibbutz.
Complete carnage
Samuel's cousin, Dr. Shlomo Gensler, who is an ICU doctor and also a first responder on October 7, is providing assistance to Samuel in coping with this traumatic experience.
During their visit to the scene, a rocket alarm suddenly goes off, causing everyone to immediately drop to the ground. In response, Samuel starts to experience panic, characterized by rapid breathing and shaking. Swiftly, Gensler manages to soothe her, providing reassurance of her safety.
Gensler, who continues to attend to patients injured on that day, retraces his steps through the zone where he assessed wounded individuals during the Hamas attacks. Remnants of medical equipment and bullet casings still scatter the ground where he performed his duties that night.
"It was an utter scene of chaos, unlike anything I've ever witnessed," Gensler expressed.
Upon witnessing the arrival of the first lifeless body, he expressed his disbelief at the subsequent onslaught that followed - an overwhelming and continuous influx of hundreds of bodies.
Gensler observed the alarming sight of houses and villages ablaze in close proximity, as well as the grim aftermath of civilian cars torn apart by shoulder-propelled grenade launchers, their occupants lying lifeless beside them.
The emotional impact of the scenario was heightened by the realization that the victims were deliberately targeted for being Jewish, in accordance with the Hamas ideology. Additionally, concrete evidence of "premeditated" intent further intensified the emotions. Despite this, according to his colleagues who spoke to CNN, the doctor managed to treat approximately 300 individuals that night, saving numerous lives. It should be noted that he also provided medical assistance to a number of soldiers.
"There was a soldier who arrived here, visibly shaken," recalled Gensler. "I embraced him tightly, comforting him as he wept in my arms... and reassured him, 'You will be okay.'"
The aftermath of the Nova festival attack, where more than 260 bodies were found after Hamas' deadly incursion into southern Israel on October 7.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
A sparkly sequin dress left over in the debris.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
The tree where Aliza hid next to farmland near the festival.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Now, with Israel engaged in conflict on the neighboring border, Gensler closely monitors the evolving humanitarian crisis. Expressing deep concern, he shares, "My heart aches for the suffering children in Gaza." He further highlights that his hospital used to provide medical care to sick Palestinian children from the area.
Nevertheless, he remains determined to bring attention to the events of October 7, in order to honor the memory of "those who were brutally killed."
Samuel expressed his remorse, feeling apologetic that he couldn't have been present to support and rescue his fallen friends. He also expressed sorrow for the fact that God couldn't save them.
"They were amazing people," she said. "Im gonna do everything I can to live my life in their name."
