Israeli music festival: 260 bodies recovered from site after Hamas attack
More than 260 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the Supernova festival site, according to the rescue agency Zaka.
The festival – in the desert in southern Israel, was stormed by militants, who opened fire as part of a huge surprise attack on Israel. More than 100 people have been kidnapped.
Eyewitnesses say the barrage of rockets were quickly followed by gunshots.
“They turned off the electricity and suddenly out of nowhere they [militants] come inside with gunfire, opening fire in every direction,” one festival-goer told Israel’s Channel 12.
“Fifty terrorists arrived in vans, dressed in military uniforms,” she said.
She said that as people tried to flee the site, gunmen shot at the cars so people got out of their vehicles and started to run.
“They fired bursts, and we reached a point where everyone stopped their vehicles and started running. I went into a tree, a bush like this, and they just started spraying people. I saw masses of wounded people thrown around and I’m in a tree and trying to understand what’s going on.”
The festival site is not far from the Gaza Strip – where Hamas fighters crossed over at dawn to launch their attack. They infiltrated towns and villages, taking people hostage.