The "massacre" carried out by Hamas terrorists at an Israeli music festival resulted in at least 260 deaths, including Israeli police officers who were used as human shields and were shot in the legs so they could not escape, according to survivors. The event is believed to have drawn a crowd of around 3,000 to 4,000, according to the authorities.
The terrorists ruthlessly targeted and shot as many revelers as possible at the event. Graphic images surfaced on Sunday night revealing a distressing scene of bodies stacked up within a tent at the festival. Several young women were also kidnapped from the festival, with many killed and other remain missing.
Horrifying Scenes
Graphic new images show a tragic scene of dozens of dead lying within a tent at the rave. The situation spiraled into a violent and chaotic episode when heavily armed Palestinian terrorists used paragliders to infiltrate the Gaza Strip border, launching a surprise attack on Israel during the early hours of Saturday.
Videos have emerged, depicting the unsuspecting crowd joyfully dancing to music while the terrorists on motorized paragliders can be seen coming from a distance. Disturbing photos shared online by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs depict people who were gunned down while trying to escape the Tribe of Nova music festival near Gaza.
One image captures a bloodied hostage being transported in a Hamas terror vehicle.
According to CNN, the confirmed count of bodies found at the site stands at a minimum of 260, as reported by Israel's rescue service, Zaka.
"We debated whether or not to share these horrific images, but the world needs to know what we are up against," the ministry said in a statement.
"These aren't 'freedom fighters.' They are Hamas terrorists, but no different than ISIS terrorists," the Israeli office said of the attackers. "Butchering families, kidnapping grandmothers. Desecrating bodies."
Hamas terrorists abducted a large number of people, including women and children of various ages. Shockingly, the terrorists resorted to extreme measures such as shooting the legs of some hostages to stop them from fleeing.
This came as the father of a 20-year-old woman, who was attending the music festival targeted by Hamas terrorists on Saturday morning, went missing after a few hours. Mark Peretz, 51, undertook a perilous journey to the festival site near the Gaza Strip in an attempt to rescue his daughter, Maya, from the unfolding terror.
Peretz bravely set out from his home in Rishon LeZion, determined to reach the festival area and ensure the safety of his daughter during this horrific event.
Peretz remained in contact with his family through phone conversations while on the car ride to the festival area. However, the call abruptly ended when the sound of gunshots rang out, leaving his family deeply concerned and anxious about his safety.
Meanwhile, Maya and her group managed to escape, finding refuge in a police station where they remained for three hours, seeking safety from the horrific events that unfolded during the attack.
Hamas Continue to Kidnap and Kill
Raziel Tamir, who was present at the music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, described being awakened by the horrifying sounds of gunshots, screams, and explosions at approximately 6 a.m. when the militant group started the carnage.
"When I went outside my tent, I saw a crazy number of bodies, and terrorists running and firing everywhere, throwing grenades and stun grenades at people," Tamir told the public radio outlet, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Raziel Tamir recounted that he and around 100 others were fortunate to survive the attack. Israeli soldiers acted heroically, using their own bodies as human shields to protect the people lying on the ground, attempting to evade the incoming gunfire and explosions.
"The soldiers protected us with their bodies, and we saw them falling before our eyes," he said.
Tamir described the attack as resembling a warzone. The terrified partygoers, including Tamir and his friends, sought refuge behind trees and bushes as Hamas forces targeted civilians and took hostages.
Tamir said that those who managed to flee into the woods were fortunate to avoid an immediate ambush that Hamas had planned for those unfortunate people who ran toward the parking center.
"People tried to run to their cars, but the terrorists waited and slaughtered them as they tried to get into their cars and escape," he explained.
As Sunday progressed, the true extent of the tragedy at the dance festival began to surface, aided by drone footage providing a bird's-eye view of the site.
Accounts of the unfolding events revealed that the revelers were subjected to a harrowing experience, being captured, bound, and ultimately kidnapped during the attack.
"I saw videos with a male getting held by a group of Arab kids. Like, they're like 16, 17," one survivor told TabletMag.
"They're kids, but they're they're young men already, and they're holding this guy, and he looks as his girlfriend is being mounted on a bike and driven away from him. God knows what she's going to experience... Women have been raped at the area of the rave next to their friends bodies, dead bodies."
According to one report, some of the rape victims were later executed while others were transported back into Gaza.
In some photos, bodies of women were seen being carried through the streets of Gaza as their legs were covered in blood.
Many of those who were killed were shot at point-blank range. Several of the slain women's bodies were dismembered as they lay in the soil.
As terrified, desperate partygoers tried to flee the location, they were confronted with rockets and gunfire by terrorists waiting along their route, leaving dozens of abandoned cars, some of which were overturned, lining the roads out of the site.
Appalling video clips from the aftermath of the assault reveal deserted festival tents and numerous burnt-out vehicles scattered along the roadside. The scenes depict the devastation and chaos that ensued as people tried to escape the horrific attack, underscoring the impact on those attending the festival.
As of Sunday night, Hamas reportedly was holding over 100 hostages. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) indicated that the death toll had surpassed 700, with another 2,150 injured.
At least four Americans were confirmed to be among the dead.
