Liraz Oliel from Afula was part of the team that organized the Nova party at the Re’im forest. A month after the Hamas massacre at the event, she spoke about those terrible moments and honored the many friends she lost there, including her close friend and partner Dror Behat.
"He was the driving force behind the event," Oliel said.
Among Liraz’s friends who died at the party were also Avidan Turgeman, Oded Abergel, and Shaval Yaakov, her fellow organizers.
"I was exhausted so I waited for sunrise to take a few photos of the stage and then I left," Oliel recalled. "A barrage of rockets began raining down on us. Some friends wanted to wait until it was over before dismantling the stage and going home.”
"While traveling in a car with other friends, we noticed the missiles getting closer,” she added.
They continued driving. A few kilometers after Kibbutz Saad, they first encountered the terrorists. "They started shooting at the vehicle ahead of us with a machine gun. We made a U-turn, and they followed. One was clearly panicked, and the other had blood on his face."
Liraz and others attempted to block vehicles from driving in the direction of the terrorists.
"I called the police and MDA, begging them to come and block the cars, as there were injured people we couldn't handle,” she said. “I screamed that someone needed to be shot so that help would come urgently."
"The gunshots grew louder, so we sought shelter in Kibbutz Saad," she said. "Kibbutz residents welcomed anyone seeking refuge. Meanwhile, I stayed on the line with MDA, desperately requesting help, providing my location, and sending them photos of the wounded. More people started aiding the injured."
At the entrance of the kibbutz, she noticed Colonel Oz Nahum, who had been shot.
"Instinctively, I put on gloves and held his bleeding wounds until we reached the Soroka Hospital," Recently, the man posted on Facebook, searching for Liraz to express his gratitude.
"While driving, we came across an ambulance, and the road was strewn with bodies," she recalled. "Eventually, we arrived in Be'er Sheva. At 10:42, I charged my phone and sent Dror a message:
?????
What's happening with you?
?????
12:41 PM
Drorrrr
Please, answer me
‘The pain remains’
"Time goes by, but the pain remains,” Oliel said. “I lost ten friends, including my best friend. My heart has shattered into countless pieces, and at times, the pain seems impossible to bear. How can you grieve for so many simultaneously?
"So much light has been taken away from this world, and mere words cannot capture the essence of these people,” she added. “The world feels immensely heavy without them.”
The young women explained they had planned to celebrate all together with an Indian meal after the event.
“Now, it will never happen,” Oliel added.
"That day is forever etched in my mind,” she concluded. "Today, I am taking part in a project to tattoo survivors from the party, small sketches that will serve us as a reminder of all the lives lost."