Israel’s Supernova competition descended into chaos after Hamas gunmen stormed the desert occasion, killing lots of of partygoers and kidnapping others in one of many militant group’s deadliest assaults.
Dashcam footage confirmed a person being shot inside the location whereas one other video appeared to indicate the second a 25-year-old lady begged to not be killed as she was taken.
Utilizing photos and movies from social media and different witness testimony, Sky Information has pieced collectively what we all know thus far concerning the assault and the way the competition as soon as described as a celebration of “love and infinite freedom” became a bloodbath.
Greater than 260 our bodies have been recovered from the competition, in line with Israeli rescue service Zika following the assault by the militant group Hamas.
Held simply 5km (three miles) from the Israel-Gaza border within the Negev desert in southern Israel, the Supernova trance competition started on Friday night with hundreds of younger individuals attending.
Gunfire and panic
Festivalgoers had been seen dancing to bass music underneath vibrant tents and fairy lights in one of many foremost areas earlier than the digital camera panned to smoke rising within the distance – marked by six gray clouds within the sky.
We all know the primary video, taken by one attendee, was filmed within the early hours of Saturday earlier than dawn which was at round 6.40am.
We all know this as a result of pure gentle and we have situated varied clips shared on-line utilizing satellite tv for pc imagery which marks the competition stage and foremost dance areas.
Witnesses reported listening to rocket fireplace within the distance, however some ravers did not hear explosions over the loud music.
Shortly after the music was stopped, round 6.30am, bulletins had been made and safety employees started ushering individuals away from the phases.
Movies confirmed some individuals leaving hurriedly, showing confused however not but in panic.
With the sound of gunfire, individuals had been seen frantically working into the encircling fields to flee. We situated one video to one of many fields east of the location throughout the street.
North of the competition, footage confirmed Israeli safety forces and native police establishing a fringe and combating positions as festivalgoers took cowl.
Man killed inside competition web site
The assault additionally concerned killings as dashcam footage from a car on the web site confirmed Hamas militants taking a person away contained in the competition web site.
Somebody was seen shifting in the back of the automobile earlier than a person approached him and shot him.
Two males appeared in a video sporting comparable logos to Hamas fighters
The markings on this man’s headband appeared to match the Hamas emblem, and the placement of the location in line with the dashcam coordinate was additionally matched by a competition tent which appeared within the background.
The timestamp on the video signifies that the footage was captured roughly three hours after the militants appeared on the scene.
Festivalgoer kidnapped
However 25-year-old Noa Argamani didn’t handle to flee.
A video appeared to indicate the girl being kidnapped and manhandled on a motorcycle as she reached out in direction of her boyfriend being marched alongside on foot.
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Second lady kidnapped by Hamas fighters
A number of different individuals have additionally been taken hostage by Hamas, the Israel Defence Forces mentioned.
Later, a video was launched showing to indicate Ms Argamani sat on her personal, ingesting water. Now we have not been capable of find the place this was and when it was taken.
A reported 900 Israelis and 576 Palestinians have been killed after Hamas carried out assaults over the weekend and in retaliatory strikes by Israel.
Greater than 260 our bodies have been recovered from the competition, in line with rescuers
It marks simply one in every of their assaults on Israel, prompting a fierce response by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with lots of of airstrikes on Gaza which Hamas controls.
In response, Israel has additionally ordered a “full siege” of Gaza – with no gas, meals, water or electrical energy allowed in.
Extra reporting by Olive Enokido-Lineham, OSINT producer.
The Data and Forensics staff is a multi-skilled unit devoted to offering clear journalism from Sky Information. We collect, analyse and visualise knowledge to inform data-driven tales. We mix conventional reporting abilities with superior evaluation of satellite tv for pc pictures, social media and different open supply data. By means of multimedia storytelling we purpose to raised clarify the world whereas additionally displaying how our journalism is completed.