Terrifying Desert Mayhem: Escaping Rockets & Hostage Crisis Unleashed at Music Festival

The rockets initiated at approximately 6:30 a.m., according to Tal Gibly's statement to CNN. Half an hour later, she and numerous individuals who were present at an Israeli music festival found themselves fleeing in fear as Gaza militants launched an attack towards them.

This harrowing assault represented only one of several targets struck on Saturday morning, marking the most extensive and well-coordinated offensive ever executed by Hamas militants within Israeli territory.

At the festival site, a total of at least 260 bodies were eventually discovered, Zaka, the Israeli rescue service, reported. Disturbing videos circulating on social media show hostages being seized by their armed captors.

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CNN reporter went to scene of music festival slaughter. Here's what she found

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At the outdoor Nova Festival, held in a rural farmland area near the Gaza-Israel border, an all-night dance party was planned to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. However, as the sun started to rise, Gibly reported that the sound of sirens and rockets filled the air.

"We had no place to hide because we were in an open space," she recounted to CNN. "Panic ensued as everyone hastily grabbed their belongings."

Explosions can be audibly perceived in the footage filmed by Gibly, capturing her and her friends traversing the concert grounds, which were rapidly vacating, situated approximately two miles from the border.

"Imale," could be heard emanating from someone, a typical Israeli phrase used to express fear or surprise. Unbeknownst to Gibly and the rest, just a short distance of fewer than two miles away, militants from Gaza had commenced their assault on Israeli tanks and soldiers.

Rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel, in Gaza City, on Rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel, in Gaza City, on Saturday.

Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Hamas has launched an unprecedented attack against Israel. Here's what to know

Attendees fled in their cars, causing the roadways to become congested and rendering movement impossible. It was at this point that gunshots erupted, according to Gibly.

Gibly captured videos showing an Israeli military vehicle driving against the traffic, with people attempting to give it space. In one of the videos, a voice can be heard from outside the car, urgently shouting, "Move! Keep moving forward!"

Thats when Gibly said she and her friends panicked, abandoned the car, and began running.

Like a shooting range

At an event captured in a viral video on social media, a large crowd of participants can be seen desperately leaving their vehicles and making their way over an open expanse while the sound of gunshots reverberates in the distance.

Due to the disturbing nature of the footage, CNN has decided not to broadcast the complete video. This is because numerous individuals can be observed falling to the ground as the gunfire becomes closer. The video does not provide a clear indication as to whether these individuals are seeking shelter or if they have been struck by the bullets.

People run across an empty field away from gunshots at a music festival near the Gaza-Israel border on October 7, 2023.

On Instagram, Gibly informed CNN that she swiftly fled to the nearby forest and managed to get into a passing car. Along the way, she came across several deceased and injured individuals strewn along the roadside. Yet, one particular image remained etched in her memory: a concert attendee fatally shot outside a van, with another lifeless person occupying the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Gibly verified that the video, which was acquired by CNN, depicted the two victims that she witnessed.

"It was an utterly horrifying experience, and we were completely clueless about where to go to avoid encountering those malicious individuals," she expressed. "I have numerous friends who wandered aimlessly in the woods for several hours and were shot as if they were targets in a shooting range."

Gibly is currently attempting to contact her friends who were also present at the concert. Uncertain about their fate, she wonders if they managed to survive, were possibly captured, or faced an even grimmer outcome.

The organizers of the festival are actively assisting Israeli security forces in their efforts to locate individuals who are unaccounted for.

Hostage taken to Gaza

Details of hostages from the attack are beginning to emerge as family members recognize relatives in videos circulating from Gaza.

A video went viral featuring an Israeli woman, Noa Argamani, and her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, who had attended the festival. The video depicted Argamani being forcefully taken away on a motorcycle while desperately seeking assistance. Or was present nearby as the motorcycle with Argamani passed by, and he was later detained by a group of men. He was then made to walk with his hands restrained behind his back.

There was also a noticeable dark plume of smoke in the background. CNN is unable to verify the video independently.

The couple's family members and friends have expressed their desire for the video to be shared extensively, with the hope of locating them and ensuring their safe release.

"It is incredibly challenging to witness someone so dear to you, whom you know so well, being subjected to such mistreatment," Amir Moadi, a roommate of Noa Argamani, expressed to CNN. Moadi further mentioned that he was aware of approximately five to six individuals who had attended the festival and are currently unaccounted for.

"Nevertheless, we still have individuals who are missing. Our loved ones and acquaintances, spanning across different age groups, have all reached the Gaza Strip, and it is crucial that we take immediate and comprehensive action to bring them back," he emphasized.

Moshe Or, Avinatan Or's brother and the boyfriend of Argamani, informed Channel 12, a CNN affiliate, that he quickly discovered the video. He expressed his concern for his girlfriend Noa, who appeared scared and panicked in the footage as she was forcefully held by unknown individuals on a motorcycle. The thought of what she must be going through is unimaginable.

In a separate video authenticated by CNN, armed militants in Gaza are seen displaying an unconscious woman who had attended the festival.

Shani Louk, a German-Israeli dual national, has been confirmed as the woman by CNN. CNN has contacted her family for comment but has yet to receive a response.

According to her cousin, Louk indeed attended the music festival, as confirmed by the Washington Post.

In the video, Louk remains completely still as two gunmen restrain her. One of them has his leg resting on her waist while the other grabs a handful of her dreadlocks. They cheer, shouting "Allahu Akbar," which translates to "God is great" in Arabic.

Among the spectators near the truck, a few of them also join in the cheering. Shockingly, as the vehicle departs, one man even spits on Louk's head.

Reuters

Hamas has reportedly taken 'hostages and prisoners of war' during their attack on Israel, according to the IDF. CNN is currently unaware of the whereabouts or condition of Louks. The video is not being broadcast by CNN due to its graphic and disturbing nature.

Louk's cousin informed the Washington Post that they identified her through her tattoos and long dreadlocks. They expressed a glimmer of hope, stating that Hamas is accountable for her and the rest of the individuals.

According to a source from the German foreign ministry, CNN was informed that the Federal Foreign Office and the German embassy in Tel Aviv are closely coordinating with Israeli authorities to ascertain the impact on German citizens.

Ricarda, the mother of Shani Nicole Louk, a German citizen, reported in a video obtained by German news outlet Bild that her daughter, along with a group of tourists, had been kidnapped in southern Israel by Palestinian Hamas. According to Ricarda, she received a video showing her daughter unconscious in a car with the Palestinians, who were seen driving around the Gaza Strip. She urgently appealed for assistance and any updates on the situation. Thank you.