Current:Home > InvestMusic festival survivor details escape from Hamas: 'They hunted us for hours' -FutureFinance
Music festival survivor details escape from Hamas: 'They hunted us for hours'
View
Date:2025-04-19 00:12:53
A woman who fled for her life as Hamas terrorists gunned down festivalgoers in southern Israel is sharing the terrifying details of her survival.
Daniel Levi, who was working at the Supernova music festival when the attack unfolded, recalled dozens of terrorists “filled the sky” around 6:30 a.m. Saturday near the Gaza border, descending as the crowd celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
“They just started shooting, and the sky was full of rockets,” she said in an interview on ABC News Live.
The 31-year-old explained she knew she “needed to stay in an open field” in order to survive the attack.
(MORE: Death came from sea, air and ground: A timeline of surprise attack by Hamas on Israel)
For the next half hour, Levi and her two friends, Nicole and Elaine, stayed put. When they heard gunfire in the distance, Levi told her friends they were involved in “an extreme situation” and they needed to evacuate the area.
The group went to their car where they crossed paths with a friend who worked as a security guard at the event. He told them “a suicider” was located in the road, and urged the group to follow him to wait together.
According to Levi, the attack lasted 10 minutes, with Hamas terrorists targeting festivalgoers from the east and the north as they sought refuge.
“They [shot] at us everywhere,” she said. “And then, we couldn’t hide. We didn’t have anywhere to go.”
While police and security guards attempted to fight in the road against Hamas, Levi and her friends ran back towards the festival area.
In a matter of seconds, the group had to make a difficult decision -- whether to run through a field towards Gaza, where Hamas fighters would potentially kill them, or hide in the trees in a eucalyptus forest.
“We decided to go to the trees,” she recalled. “We were just trying to stay alive. They hunted us for six hours.”
Levi said the “suiciders” were always behind them, and she could hear people running for their lives, screaming while being shot. She explained they stayed low beneath the trees and removed leaves from underneath their shoes to avoid being heard as they fled.
“We had nowhere to hide,” she continued. “It wasn’t humanized. They just – they killed everyone.”
(MORE: What we know about the Americans killed in the Israel-Hamas war)
Levi relied on Google Maps for assistance and spoke with her uncle, a commander in the Army who is familiar with navigating extreme situations, begging him to send help. Acting on impulse, she also notified police, telling them to track her phone in real-time in hopes they would aid in their rescue.
Messaging back and forth with friends, Levi was able to determine which villages were occupied by Hamas and were unsafe to seek refuge in.
The women hid in the trees for six hours and then decided to run into an open field, heading towards a stream. As they fled, Hamas terrorists were seen traveling on jeeps, "hunting" whoever came across their path.
“We decided to run,” Levi said. “We had no other choice.”
When they arrived at the stream, the women took cover near some bamboo, leaning against a wall while checking to see if anyone could see them. One hour later, the group noticed a car driving by. It turned out to be the police.
“Thank god they were the real police,” Levi said. “Most of the suiciders wore police and soldier uniforms so they [could] abduct and kill people on the road.”
The police transported the women to an area called Patish where they were provided with food and water, and were able to charge Levi’s phone. She credits being the only one with a phone as part of the reason they were rescued.
“I was the only one who can speak with the world, and like, ask for help and let them know where we are, and ask what happened so we can get out of there alive,” she said.
Reflecting on the attack, Levi, who is now home safe and beside her family, says she “hopes everything will be okay.”
“I want everyone to be OK here,” she said. “We are strong. We are united.”
(MORE: US pressing for safe passage of civilians out of Gaza, including Americans)
Fighting has been ongoing since Hamas launched its attack on Israel from air, land and sea on Saturday. More than 200 bodies were removed from the music festival venue, according to an Israeli rescue service.
At least 1,200 people have died and 2,900 others have been injured in Israel, Israeli authorities said. According to Palestinian authorities, at least 1,100 people have died, and 5,339 have been injured in Gaza.
veryGood! (4184)
Related
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- South Korea scrambles jets as China and Russia fly warplanes into its air defense zone
- A Tesla driver to pay $23K in restitution for a 2019 Los Angeles crash that killed 2 people
- Nursing baby giraffe dies after being spooked; zoo brings in grief counselors for staff
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Matthew Perry’s Cause of Death Revealed
- Prince Harry wins phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher, awarded 140,000 pounds
- Why Emily Blunt Was Asked to Wear Something More Stylish for Her Devil Wears Prada Audition
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Woman killed by crossbow in western NY, and her boyfriend is charged with murder
Ranking
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Dog respiratory illness cases confirmed in Nevada, Pennsylvania. See map of impacted states.
- 85-year-old man charged after stabbing wife over pancakes she made for him, DC prosecutors say
- ‘General Hospital’ actors win supporting honors at 50th annual Daytime Emmys
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Heidi Montag Makes Dig at Ozempic Users After 22-Pound Weight Loss
- NFL finally gets something right with officiating: first all-Black on field and replay crew
- Maren Morris’ Ex Ryan Hurd Shares Shirtless Photo in Return to Social Media After Divorce Filing
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
The West supports Ukraine against Russia’s aggression. So why is funding its defense in question?
Pentagon has ordered a US aircraft carrier to remain in the Mediterranean near Israel
New York’s Metropolitan Museum will return stolen ancient sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Former Jaguars financial manager pleads guilty to stealing $22M. He faces up to 30 years in prison
Louisville shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 wounded after officers responded to a domestic call
Why did Shohei Ohtani sign with the Dodgers? It's not just about the money: He wants to win