Re'im music festival massacre

Re'im music festival massacre
Part of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel
Militant capturing a man during the attack
Location	Eshkol Regional Council, Israel
Coordinates	31°23′52″N 34°28′18″E
Date	7 October 2023; 14 months ago (2023-10-07)
Target	Civilians
Attack type	Mass shooting, hostage-taking
Weapons	Firearms including AK-type assault rifles, RPGs, hand grenades[1]
Deaths	364; also 40 captured[2]
Perpetrator	Hamas-initiated

On 7 October 2023, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas started a surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. During the attack, 364 civilians were killed and many more were badly hurt by Hamas at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, which was an open-air music festival on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret near kibbutz Re'im. At least 40 hostages were also taken.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} This mass killing had the most deaths out of all of the massacres targeting Israeli civilians in settlements near the Gaza Strip that happened as part of the 7 October invasion. Others were at the settlements of Netiv HaAsara, Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz and Holit.^[9]

At 6:30 am around sunrise, rockets were noticed in the sky.^[1] Around 7:00 am, a siren warned the people at the festival of an incoming rocket attack, causing them to try to escape.^[10] Armed militants, using motorcycles, trucks and powered paragliders, surrounded the festival and started shooting at everyone who was trying to escape. People hiding in nearby areas, such as bomb shelters, bushes, and orchards, were killed while hiding there. People who reached the road were stuck in a traffic jam as militants shot at the vehicles. The militants killed some badly hurt people at point-blank range as the hurt people crouched on the ground.^[11][12]

The public does not currently know where the hostages are.^[6][7][13] The massacre at the festival was the largest terror attack in the history of Israel,^[1][14][12] and the worst massacre of Israeli civilians ever.^[15]

References

1. Debre, Isabel (9 October 2023). "Israeli survivors recount terror at music festival, where Hamas militants killed at least 260". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
2. "TV: Police probe of Re'im massacre shows terrorists didn't know about party in advance". The Times of Israel. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
3. "Death count from Re'im music festival massacre reportedly updated to 364 — a third of Oct. 7 fatalities". The Times of Israel. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
4. "New footage shows British-Israeli soldier toss grenades back at Hamas". Sky News. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
5. "Cpl. Liel Vainshtein, 19: Former child star slain at music festival". The Times of Israel. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
6. Gillett, Francesca (8 October 2023). "How an Israel music festival turned into a nightmare after Hamas attack". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
7. Tabachnick, Cara (8 October 2023). "Israelis search for loved ones with posts and pleas on social media". CBS News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
8. Borschel-Dan, Amanda (7 October 2023). "Thousands flee rocket and gunfire at all-night desert 'Nature Party'; dozens missing". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
9. Times, The New York (10 October 2023). "Hamas Leaves Trail of Terror in Israel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
10. "Hamas gunmen open fire on hundreds at music festival in southern Israel". CBS News. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
11. DeBre, Isabel; Biesecker, Michael (9 October 2023). "Israeli survivors recount terror at music festival, where Hamas militants killed at least 260". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
12. "What to know about the deadly Hamas attack on an Israeli music festival". Al Jazeera. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
13. "Thousands flee rocket and gunfire at all-night desert 'Nature Party'; dozens missing". The Times of Israel. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
14. Israel has suffered the biggest terror attack in its history. How will it respond? Archived 10 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine, The Economist, October 9th 2023
15. Browne, David; Dillon, Nancy; Grow, Kory (15 October 2023). "'They Wanted to Dance in Peace. And They Got Slaughtered'. Israel's Supernova festival celebrated music and unity. It turned into the deadliest concert attack in history". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.