Reports have emerged of a deeply tragic incident involving a young Israeli woman, aged 25, who was initially believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas following their assault on a music festival near the Gaza border. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was among those attending the festival when the attack occurred.
She was reported missing and was feared to have been abducted by Hamas. The search came to a heartbreaking conclusion on Thursday when her body was discovered.
The body of a 25 year old girl, Shani Gabay, a law school graduate, was identified today. She was killed on October 7 by Palestinian terrorists.
As you can tell by reading about witnesses recounting her journey trying to escape the terrorists, Shani did absolutely everything… pic.twitter.com/k0JGPPNqIq
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) November 23, 2023
on October 7 at the Supernova music festival, where Shani Gabay, a young Israeli woman, was working. As the event was violently disrupted by an attack from Hamas, which involved firing rockets at Israel and sending gunmen to the festival site.
Several festival attendees sought refuge under an ambulance that was parked near the site. This vehicle, unfortunately, became a target for the gunmen and was subsequently bombed.
After the dust settled, a grim discovery was made. Shani Gabay’s body was found under the wreckage of the burnt ambulance.
“Our Shani is gone. Our hearts are broken into pieces. We are all crying and refuse to believe, how much we waited for a different ending. Forty-seven days of hope came to an end with receiving the bitter news this morning about the murder of Shani on October 7,” Yokneam Mayor Simon Alfasi told The Jerusalem Post.
Early morning hours at around 6:40 am, Shani Gabay found herself in a terrifying situation. The peaceful morning was shattered by the threatening sound of rockets, across the sky overhead. In her state of alarm, she call to her mother.
Over the phone, Gabay relayed the harrowing scene around her. Her voice, filled with fear and uncertainty, echoed the question that was racing through her mind: “What should I do?”
Her mother advised Gabay to seek shelter, to find a place where she could hide from the imminent danger.
According to reports, Gabay sought refuge in a field shelter located near Kibbutz Alumim during the incident. She was accompanied by two of her friends who, fortunately, managed to survive the horrifying attack. The attackers, launched grenades at the shelter. This forced Gabay to make the desperate decision to flee from the safety of the shelter.
🕯 Les derniers instants de feu Shani Gabay dont le corps a été retrouvé aujourd'hui après 47 jours de disparition - que sa mémoire soit bénie 💔
Les jeunes se cachent des terroristes..
Mais ….. https://t.co/1NBFveanX4
— Charly tao (@chant1428) November 22, 2023
Gabay run towards her car, tragically she was shot during this desperate moment. Following the attack, she was swiftly transported to a nearby police command post.
However, in a turn of events that compounded the tragedy, Gabay disappeared following this incident. Despite the immediate medical attention and the presence of law enforcement, Gabay was not seen again after being taken to the police command post.
“She was told to run but we don’t know how well she could have run by that point,” her brother told Israeli media.
After the terrifying incident and the subsequent silence from Gabay, her family was engulfed in a state of deep concern. They started searching for her, hoping against hope to find her safe. Their search led them to various hospitals and medical centres, places where victims of the attack were being treated.
Gabay’s father, took it upon himself to visit the site of the party, the last known location of his daughter. Over the course of the next five days, he undertook the heart-wrenching task of checking bodies that were found in ditches and along the sides of roads.
Gabay was a young woman on the threshold of her career, having recently graduated in law. She was on the cusp of turning 26, with her birthday just a week away.
The music festival, a vibrant gathering that reportedly drew a crowd of around 3,000 party-goers, tragically became one of the initial targets of the Hamas group. This event, which was meant to be a celebration of music and friendship, was abruptly transformed into a scene of chaos and fear.
Reports suggest that the gunmen associated with the Palestinian Hamas group employed a variety of means to infiltrate the festival site. They are said to have arrived on motorbikes and trucks, demonstrating a calculated approach to their devastating assault. In an unexpected twist, gliders were also reportedly used, adding an aerial element to the attack.
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