the gates opened for the Israeli music festival Supernova, Amit Bar and her boyfriend Nir Jorno arrived with their friend Ziv Hagbi, excited for the event. The devoted electronic music fans had traveled from Matzliah, some 60 miles away. “We really waited for this event,” the 27-year-old Bar says. “It was supposed to be a really good one – really fun, lots of people.”
But the dream of a communal music high ended in Saturday’s early hours when Hamas insurgents invaded attendees from all directions, killing at least 260 people and abducting dozens as hostages. Mass shootings and terror attacks at concerts are not new: The terrorists who assaulted Paris’ Bataclan in 2015 killed 130 people, including 90 inside the theater, and the mass murderer who opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas in 2017 ultimately killed 60.
The festival reflected the free-spirited nature of the artists on the bill and Israel’s history with musical escapism, which dates back to the Sixties when traveling hippies discovered the beach-strewn community of Goa, India. The pilgrimage gradually spread to Israel. “Every event you have in Israel, no matter if it’s close to the border or not, you must have police,” says Eliran Slider, whose Israel-based FM Booking company handles many psytrance artists, including a few at the festival. “Production pays a lot for security and police.” Slider had to leave for another event, but he, like many, felt there was little to worry about.
“Then I understood what was happening,” he says. “We didn’t have a clue until we arrived at the house.” ] and prayed to God that I would get out of this alive. My friends died by me and I saw friends kidnapped in front of my eyes.” “I prayed to God that I would get out of this alive. My friends died by me and I saw friends kidnapped in front of my eyes.”More than 1,300 Israelis have died in the conflict so far alongside 29 Americans. An additional 3,300 Israelis have been injured, according to. Hamas militants have taken an estimated 150 people total hostage, including Americans. “There are a number of U.S. citizens who are unaccounted-for,” a State Department spokesperson tells. “The U.S.