According to a police investigation, the IDF mistakenly fired at festival attendees at the Nova music festival, thinking they were Hamas militants, as reported by Haaretz. The tragic incident resulted in the death of 364 people at the psychedelic trance music festival near the Gaza border. The investigation suggests that Hamas had no prior knowledge of the festival.
Haaretz journalist, Josh Breiner, broke the story and confirmed the alleged mix-up. The police source revealed that an IDF combat helicopter, upon arriving at the scene, targeted the terrorists but inadvertently hit the festivalgoers as well.
The festival, which took place on October 7, experienced a devastating loss of life. The Times of Israel reported that the fatalities at the festival accounted for one-third of the total casualties from Hamas militants’ coordinated attacks on Israel that day.
Israeli security assessments indicate that Hamas did not plan the attack on the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im. Instead, they spontaneously targeted it after infiltrating the border with Gaza. The festival was originally scheduled to end on Friday night but was extended into Saturday.
Approximately 3,500 people attended the festival, which was located three miles away from the Gaza border, according to The New York Times. In addition to the fatalities, several festival attendees were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. A video of Noa Argamani, a 25-year-old woman, being forcibly taken on a motorcycle by militants while calling for her boyfriend became viral on social media.
This tragic incident highlights the devastating consequences of mistaken targeting in a conflict zone. The IDF’s aim to eliminate Hamas militants resulted in the loss of innocent lives and further escalated tensions in the region. The investigation into the Nova music festival massacre will hopefully shed light on the circumstances that led to this tragic event.