Couple who survived Israeli festival massacre share devastating experience of escaping

Trigger warning: This article contains distressing themes

A couple who survived the massacre of at least 260 people at a music festival in southern Israel have spoken about their harrowing experiences.

Amit Bar and her partner Nir had been among those attending the Tribe of Nova festival at Re'im, east of the Gaza strip, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack against Israel on Saturday 7 October.

Attendees at the festival first became aware that something was wrong when rockets started flying overhead from Gaza.

While rocket attacks from Gaza are not uncommon, particularly in Southern Israel, it soon became clear that this time was different.

Hamas militants managed to breach the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip in several places.

It's not clear if they were aware that the music festival was taking place or happened upon it, but once militants arrived they began killing civilians indiscriminately and taking others as hostages.

Amit and Nir became separated from their friend Ziv after he went to help others.

After the pair escaped, Amit posted a photo of her and her partner on Instagram on 9 October.

Instagram / amit_bar_

She wrote: "You hear the bullets whistling next to us and people just fall and the f*****g terrorists behind us circling everywhere on motorcycles just trying to kill.

"When I tell you I have no strength, you tell me I have no choice and we must keep running.

"We didn't stop running until you and Ziv split up and hid in the bushes. "

She added: "The gunshots went over the head, I never knew what a whistle of a gun sounds like, the terrorists pass by and shoot wherever possible and we do everything not move to maintain silence.

"What we experienced is impossible to digest, we just keep praying that Ziv comes home to us."

At least 260 Israelis have been confirmed to have died in the massacre.

In total, more than 900 Israelis have been killed in the attack so far, making this attack one of the deadliest for Israeli civilians in the country's history.

SBSNews/X

An unconfirmed number of Israelis have also been taken hostage by Hamas.

Israel has launched airstrikes against Gaza in retaliation, with at least 687 people in Gaza being killed so far, including children.

The electricity supply into Gaza has also been cut off.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the airstrikes are 'just the beginning'.

US president Joe Biden has expressed support for Israel, posting a picture of the White House lit up in the Israeli flag with the caption: "Tonight, America says clearly to the Israeli people, to the world, and to terrorists everywhere that we stand with Israel.

"That will never change."