"Music Stopped, Missiles Were In Air": Witness Recounts Israel Fest Horror https://ift.tt/g370aPX

More than 250 people were gunned down or burnt in their cars by Hamas gunmen at a music festival in Israel last week in the deadliest, single assault on civilians in the country's history.  Amit Musaei, who was at the festival, recalled the horror of the Hamas attack and his "run for life".

"On the day of the party, we have been there since Friday night through Saturday morning. We celebrated life, love, it was a very beautiful festival. And then suddenly at half past 6 am, when sun didn't even rise, we realised the music stopped and missiles were in the air," he told NDTV.

"The security told us to lie on the ground for cover and then we realised we were under an attack. Everyone was puzzled about what we were supposed to do as compared to the regular missile attacks. Unfortunately, in Israel we are regular to missile attacks," he added.

Most of the victims were young people who danced through the night on what was the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Mr Musaei, whose friends are either died or were taken hostage during the attack, said that he used his tour guide skills to "escape the terror"

"Three of my friends and I jumped into my vehicle, made it to the road and started to run. I didn't even realise that this was a run for life. We thought we were just escaping missiles and trying to find a protected area, possibly a safe room, a concrete wall, anything we can hide below. We only learnt later that people were gunned down point blank," he said.

Drone footage taken in the aftermath of the attack showed cars left at the roadside, at the music festival in the Negev desert close to Gaza from which Hamas launched its shock assault, many destroyed or pockmarked with bullet impacts.

He also shared that one of his friends was just buried yesterday while his other friends are still missing. "It was terrible. To bury your best friend, there's nothing that can prepare you for this. The wife hasn't been located yet. We have no faith. Most likely she died," Mr Musaei said.

"Two other people in our car are still missing, one of them was still breastfeeding. Every day we get bad news," he added.

A week on to the attack, multiple people remain unaccounted for while some have been identified in videos of hostages shared by Hamas. Many were taken by the gunmen and dragged into captivity in Gaza.

Mr Musaei also said that how in Israel - where 1,300 people killed in the Hamas attack - rocket attacks are a regular thing.

"I have been living in the coastal plains of Israel and although I am far away from Gaza. I am around 60 km away from the Gaza Strip. Still, the missiles are hitting my areas as well from time to time," he said.

The surprise assault by Hamas has rocked a country which had long prided itself on its ultra-efficient military and security services. The Israeli military is now preparing to implement a wide range of operational offensive plans as expectations grew of an imminent invasion of the Gaza Strip.

from NDTV News- Topstories https://ift.tt/DMzkFRg