On Saturday, Israeli festival-goers could be seen dancing in the desert at dawn, unaware that within minutes members of the militant group Hamas would descend from the sky and spread terror.
Revelers had gathered for a nighttime trance rave near Kibbutz Re’im near the Gaza Strip to mark the end of the Sukkot holiday.
In footage posted to TikTok, they appeared unaware of the impending terror that loomed in the distance, hundreds of meters above their heads.
The footage, taken shortly after sunrise, shows the eagle-eyed cameraman suddenly zooming in on gray dots in the air that turn out to be Palestinian militants.
Hamas fighters managed to enter Israel almost undetected by paragliding over the normally heavily guarded border.
Moments later, the dancing stops and all-out terror ensues as festival-goers are forced to run for their lives as Hamas gunmen begin shooting and kidnapping anyone who stands in their way.
On Saturday, Israeli festival-goers could be seen dancing in the desert at dawn, completely unaware that within minutes members of the militant group Hamas would descend from the sky and spread terror
In footage posted to TikTok, revelers appeared unaware of the impending terror that loomed in the distance hundreds of meters above their heads
It can be seen that the militant paragliders are getting closer, while the people on the ground don’t seem to notice
According to the Israeli military, Hamas fighters bypassed Israel’s border with Gaza by flying in on a paraglider (pictured: an alleged paraglider flying into Israel).
Festival-goers are then warned of an impending missile attack just as the invasion begins.
The horrific incident occurred during a religious music festival near Kibbutz Urim in southern Israel, with the immediate panic that gripped the crowd captured on video.
“We received a ‘red siren'” [rocket warning] Alarm. “This led to chaos, especially among the vehicles that wanted to leave,” explained a festival-goer named Daniel.
“Then shots started and we had to run. “We are currently hiding and waiting for help.”
The siren was quickly drowned out by gunfire as heavily armed Hamas fighters arrived on the scene as the terror group began its attack on Israel that has so far killed hundreds and injured thousands more.
Videos posted on social media, although grainy, appear to show scenes of chaos in the sand at the outdoor party, The Jerusalem Post reports.
In the northwestern Negev Desert, about 5 miles from the town of Ofakim, panicked Israelis can be seen screaming, running and hastily getting into cars as they try to escape the festival.
“Palestinian terrorists attacked a festival where hundreds of Israelis were camping for the Shemini Atzeret holiday.” The panic this caused is clearly visible in the fades [faces] of civilians are being attacked by heavily armed militants. “Pray for Israel,” the video is subtitled.
A second video of the same scene also shows hundreds of Israelis running for cover and countless others speeding across the dusty ground in crowded vehicles.
“Israelis run from cities to the desert on foot, by car or otherwise,” the caption reads.
Israeli festival-goers run for their lives across the desert after being warned of an impending rocket attack, just as Hamas invaded the country on Saturday
Panic gripped the crowd celebrating in the northwestern Negev desert, about 5 miles from the town of Ofakim.
People could be seen hastily packing their cars in a desperate attempt to escape
The Jerusalem Post details how Israeli security forces managed to escort some to a military base in the south for security reasons.
The attack occurred during the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret and just a day after Israel marked the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.
A student kidnapped by Hamas terrorists who attended the desert rave was a mother and her two little girls.
Noa Argamani, 25, was kidnapped yesterday morning as a video showed her sitting on a militant’s motorcycle, pointing her outstretched arms at her helpless friend and pleading for her life.
She screams: “Don’t kill me!” “No, no, no” – but the gunman races away. Noa has not been seen since.
Her friend Avi Nathan is left desperate and helpless in the desert. He is also missing.
Footage of Noa’s abduction was widely shared on social media.
Israelis could be heard screaming, running and hastily getting into cars to escape
Some could be seen scrambling for the safety of their cars to escape danger
Videos posted on social media appear to show scenes of chaos on the sand
Palestinian terrorists broke into a festival where hundreds of Israelis were camping for the Shemini Atzeret holiday.
The panic this caused can be seen in the images of civilians being attacked by heavily armed militants.
Pray for Israel. pic.twitter.com/l6zviWr2hy
— Jay Engelmayer (@jengelmayer) October 7, 2023
“Imagine what it’s like for her family,” said her college roommate, Amir Moadi. “They only found out she had been kidnapped when they happened across the footage online.”
“I was supposed to go to the desert party but decided against it at the last minute,” Amir said. “The last time we heard from her was around 10 or 11 this morning when she texted all of us telling us that terrorists had opened fire and were chasing everyone but that they were both safely in hiding.
“We haven’t heard from them since, but then unfortunately we saw the disturbing videos of their abduction online.” One of her on the back of a bike with terrorists.
“Her parents are in shock and can’t even speak.” She is an only child.
Student Noa Argamani sits on a terrorist’s motorcycle and points at her helpless friend with her arms outstretched. She begs for her life
Shani Louk, 30, a German tattoo artist, was also kidnapped from the festival by terrorists as they attacked Israel in a surprise attack that left at least 480 people dead and 3,200 injured.
Her lifeless and half-naked body was paraded in the back of a Hamas pickup truck as militants sat on her and cheered after the violent attack.
She filmed straddling the back of a truck, with one leg at an unnatural angle, while terrorists and cheering supporters of the group sat around her, running alongside her and spitting on her.
Hamas had claimed that the body was that of an Israeli soldier. However, her cousin Tomasina Weintraub-Louk confirmed last night that it was Shani. She told that the family recognized her distinctive leg tattoos and dreadlocked hair.
Noa’s friend Avi Nathan (left) is left desperate and helpless in the desert. He is also missing
Along with hundreds of other young Israelis, Noa (pictured) and Avi had been enjoying a peace festival in the desert when they were forced to flee for their lives
“We haven’t heard anything. We hope for positive news. It’s definitely Shani. She was at a music festival for peace. “This is a nightmare for our family,” she said.
Esther Borochov, who fled the rave party, said she survived by playing dead in a car after the driver who tried to help her escape was shot at close range.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was “at war” and called for a mass mobilization of army reserves.
Israel will stop supplying electricity, fuel and goods to Gaza, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday evening.
Large parts of the Gaza Strip were already plunged into darkness by nightfall after power from Israel, which supplies almost all of the areas’ electricity, was cut off earlier in the day.
Netanyahu also said the “first phase” of the counter-operation was over and that Israel had repelled the majority of Hamas fighters.
He promised to continue the offensive “without reservation and without pause.”
30-year-old German tattoo artist Shani Louk was in Israel to take part in a peace rave
Shocking footage shared on social media appears to show Palestinian fighters displaying Shani’s naked body in the back of a pickup truck
Hamas had claimed that the body in the truck was an Israeli soldier – but her cousin Tomasina Weintraub-Louk confirmed last night that it was tourist Shani
Hamas claimed to have fired 5,000 rockets at Israel from the occupied Gaza Strip, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Israeli civilians were allegedly taken off the streets and driven back into Gaza
In an unprecedented early morning surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday on Saturday, Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip. In the picture, people try to put out fires on cars in Ashkelon, southern Israel, after a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip
Late Saturday, a woman makes her way through rubble in Tel Aviv
Dozens of rockets were fired at Israel by Palestinians on Saturday night
The announcement came after the surprise attack in which militants, along with dozens of fighters, fired thousands of rockets at Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented early morning invasion during a major Jewish holiday.
Israel said it was currently at war with Hamas and was launching airstrikes in Gaza.
The militant group Hamas says it is holding “dozens” of Israeli soldiers captive in the Gaza Strip.