Approximately 260 bodies have been recovered by Israeli authorities in the aftermath of a Saturday morning Hamas attack on Supernova, an electronic music in the Negev desert, just three miles from the Gaza border. Harrowing footage posted by The Guardian shows Supernova attendees dancing to the music as they slowly begin to realize they are under fire.
Black dots appear in the sky that are later identified as motorized paragliders carrying Hamas fighters across the border toward the festival. A survivor of the attack told Israel’s Channel 12 that the gunfire had “sounded like it was part of the music” before he and his friends “felt the bullets flying around [them].”
Supernova, which is billed as “a journey of unity and love,” shared the following statement in response to the massacre:
We are full of hope and pray that good news will reach us and you soon. In moments like these, it is important that we are strong and united, full of faith, support each other and be there for anyone who needs it. Embracing everyone, Nova tribe.
The attack on Supernova was part of a large-scale offensive into southern and central Israel on Saturday by the military group — an incursion that seemed to take the Israeli intelligence community completely by surprise. More than 900 combined military and civilian Israelis have been killed and 2,300 injured thus far with the totals still climbing, making the attack one of the deadliest in the history of a bloody conflict that’s been escalating for 75 years. Hamas has also taken approximately 150 Israeli hostages — including women and children.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged “mighty vengeance,” authorizing increased air strikes on Gaza. Israeli retaliation has killed at least 560 Palestinians in the two days since Netanyahu declared war. The Indian independent news site Maktoob Media reports a Palestinian death toll closer to 700, including 140 children.
In addition to the airstrikes, which continue to cause massive destruction across Gaza, Israeli Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced today (October 9) that he has ordered a “complete siege” of the strip.
The Hamas attack on Supernova claimed hostages as well as lives. The most publicized of these are Noa Argamami and Avinatan Or, a young couple who can be seen on video being wrenched apart by militants as Argamami pleads for her life. A subsequent clip circulated on X showed Argamami apparently safe in Hamas captivity.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, her father shared a surprising message of solidarity with the Palestinian people. “Enough with the wars, enough with everything we’re seeing,” he’s quoted as saying. “They [(Palestinians)] have also lost loved ones in the war. They also have captives. They also have mourning mothers. Let’s engage our emotions. We are two nations from the same father… Let’s please make peace. Real peace.”