Israel’s Supernova competition descended into chaos after Hamas gunmen stormed the desert occasion, killing tons 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.
Using photos and movies from social media and different witness testimony, Sky News has pieced collectively what we all know to this point in regards to the assault and the way the competition as soon as described as a celebration of “love and infinite freedom” was a bloodbath.
More than 260 our bodies have been recovered from the competition, in keeping with Israeli rescue service Zaka following the Hamas assault.
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Updates on Israel-Hamas battle as hostages threatened
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 folks attending.
The competition – that includes psychaedelic trance artists, a style of digital dance music that emerged within the late 90s – additionally had an space for tenting, a bar, meals courtroom, and an artwork area.
Gunfire and panic
Festivalgoers had been seen dancing to bass music below vibrant tents and fairy lights in one of many fundamental areas earlier than the digital camera panned to smoke rising within the distance – marked by six gray clouds within the sky.
We 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 know this because of the pure mild and we have positioned varied clips shared on-line utilizing satellite tv for pc imagery which marks the competition stage and fundamental 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 workers started ushering folks away from the phases.
Videos confirmed some folks leaving hurriedly, showing confused however not but in panic.
With the sound of gunfire, folks had been seen frantically operating into the encircling fields to flee. We positioned 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 organising a fringe and preventing positions as festivalgoers took cowl.
Man killed inside competition website
The assault additionally concerned killings as dashcam footage from a automobile on the website confirmed Hamas militants taking a person away contained in the competition website.
Someone was seen shifting in the back of the automotive earlier than a person approached him and shot him.
The markings on this man’s headband appeared to match the Hamas brand, and the placement of the location in keeping 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
But 25-year-old Noa Argamani didn’t handle to flee.
A video appeared to indicate the lady being kidnapped and manhandled on a bike as she reached out in direction of her boyfriend being marched alongside on foot.
Several different folks 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, consuming water. We haven’t 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.
It marks simply considered one of their assaults on Israel, prompting a fierce response by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with tons of of airstrikes on Gaza which Hamas controls.
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In response, Israel has additionally ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza – with no gas, meals, water or electrical energy allowed in.
Additional reporting by Olive Enokido-Lineham, OSINT producer.
The Data and Forensics crew is a multi-skilled unit devoted to offering clear journalism from Sky News. We collect, analyse and visualise information to inform data-driven tales. We mix conventional reporting expertise with superior evaluation of satellite tv for pc photographs, social media and different open supply info. Through multimedia storytelling we purpose to higher clarify the world whereas additionally displaying how our journalism is finished.
Source: information.sky.com”