My friend Shay and I set up a jewelry stand at the Nova festival as we tend to do at many other parties and festivals.
This year's Nova was one of a kind. (The festival) brought a lot of international artists in the trance world, which attracted a lot of tourists and of course many Israelis who have been waiting for this party all year. Beautiful young people who just wanted to be happy, dance and spread free love to our beautiful world.
At about 6:30 am they stopped the music, I was actually asleep in the tent. I woke up in panic and didn't understand what was going on. I got out of the tent and someone said over the loudspeakers that there was a ”red alert” and that we should exit the festival area as soon as possible.
“We planned on leaving the festival area, but then someone shouted that terrorists were shooting at cars at the entrance”
Me and Shay started folding our stand and by then almost everyone had already folded theirs. As soon as everything was loaded into the car, we planned on leaving the festival area, but then someone shouted that terrorists were shooting at cars at the entrance and that we should not leave.
At that point we didn't fully understand what was happening and decided to wait a bit longer.
I don't remember exactly how long, but the next thing I remember was seeing a lot of people starting to run back towards the dance floor and we heard gunshots in our direction, Shay then yelled at me, "get in the car!"
We drove as fast as we could, arriving at an orchard. We didn't find or see anyone and we started to panic. We didn't know what to do and we were afraid that the terrorists would come from inside the orchard.
We returned to the direction of the road and got stuck behind all the vehicles that were waiting to head out of the festival with no movement. Suddenly, we saw a van behind us with 6 terrorists and more terrorists on motorcycles in front of us.
“Suddenly I felt a blast of an explosion that threw me on the ground“
We got out of the car, scared to death and not knowing what to do. I thought of getting in the back of the car and hiding but thank God Shay shouted at me "Liron, Run!"
So we started running towards the orchard. The gun shots were very close, I saw people falling next to me, I didn’t see Shay anymore. Suddenly I felt a blast of an explosion that threw me on the ground.
I hid behind the first tree I saw, my heart was at 1000 bpm. I started scanning the area looking for people, for terrorists.
I noticed some people under the tree next to me and decided to join them so I wouldn't be alone. it was really close to the scene, we saw everything, we heard everything. One of the terrorists was patrolling and scanning the area. Miraculously he didn't notice us, he was about two meters away from us. If he had turned around he would have seen us, 5 people lying terrified under the tree. Luckily he didn't notice and continued on.
After about 50 minutes of us being under a tree in the sun, a guy in civilian clothes with a police hat and a gun came to us. He was walking around alone in the orchard. He came to us and asked in an Arabic accent what we were doing here and that there was a squad of terrorists approaching our location and that we should run away. We asked him what we should do and he said we should run further into the orchard. We didn't trust him but we did as he said.
“I planned that no matter what or how, but if a terrorist came up to me, I would not let him kidnap me. I would do everything in my power so that he would kill me on the spot.”
We started running and in the process people joined us and started running with us as well. The shooting started again, so we all ducked and ran until we reached an orchard of tangerines.
I was terribly afraid, and I did as he said (to hide in the bushes). So I entered the first bush that seemed to be sufficiently sheltered, and sat there for about 4 and a half hours. Completely alone. Terrified, and sure that I was going to die today.
I planned that no matter what or how, but if a terrorist came up to me, I would not let him kidnap me. I would do everything in my power so that he would kill me on the spot.
After a few hours I realized that I wouldn't get out of there alive and no one would come to rescue me. I took my phone out and on the last battery percentage took a video from the bush I was in, so that people would know what happened there that day, so that there would be proof.
I sent the video to several people from my recent chats on WhatsApp.
I wrote to my mother that I loved her, and continued to pray to God.
A few long hours later, miraculously, my phone still worked and I received a call from Shay who said that the rescue forces had arrived and that they were near a tank and that I should come too, but I heard more gunshots and shouts in Arabic. I was too afraid to go out, so I did not agree to come. I waited until it was completely quiet and I don't know where I found the courage but I got out and started walking in the direction of the road and towards the tank. I reached the road and saw my things laying on the ground. I went up to the road to get my bag (I don't know what I was thinking) then I heard a policeman yelling at me, "get down from there! it's a battlefield, get down quickly! duck down and become transparent!".
I became aware of the situation, understood where I was. I quickly got down to the side of the road and started walking alongside it.
“Only then did I realize the meaning of all the shots and explosions I heard. It wasn't an exchange of fire, it was a terrible massacre.”
.
What I saw there was just horrible. Only then did I realize the meaning of all the shots and explosions I heard. It wasn't an exchange of fire, it was a terrible massacre. So many dead bodies covered in blood, pierced by bullets from head to toe. I started to cry. The policeman who spoke to me moments ago kept yelling at me to duck and run towards him but not to look.
I did as he said and continued to run, while crying my eyes out, until I reached the tank.
In retrospect I realized the soldiers in it were already dead.
Everyone was on the ground behind the tank, hiding, and the shooting continued.
After a few moments, the first rescue vehicle arrived to take the injured and for some reason they put me on it as well. We sat in the back seat and on the way we saw the whole scene, all the broken and smashed vehicles and the dead bodies lying next to them. The bodies were lying on the road in all kinds of shapes, some burnt, some crushed, blood puddles everywhere.
Men and women I danced with just moments ago, who were spreading light and free love.
Children of nature who just wanted to dance.
Now they will be guarding us from above.
Liron E.