Death Shelters
Death Shelters(Hebrew:מיגוניות המוות) is a term used for the fortifiedshelterslocated atRe’im JunctionandAlumim Junction,where dozens of young Israelis were killed andtaken hostagewhile fleeing theRe'im music festival massacreon October 7, 2023.
Background
As part of thesurprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023,fighters who Israeli sources describe asHamas' Nukhba forcesarrived at a music festival called "Nova Festival," which took place in a forest near KibbutzRe’imon the night between October 6 and 7, 2023.Hamas forces raided the festival,killing 364 civilians and injuring hundreds of others. Additionally, 44 individuals were kidnapped by Hamas forces and other organizations to theGaza Strip,some of whom were later released as part of a hostage exchange and "Operation Arnon." During the massacre, the militants also committedsexual assaults and rapes.[1][2]This was the largest terrorist attack in Israel's history.[3][4]
The massacre and kidnapping at Re’im Junction Shelter
Upon the arrival of the militants at the scene, about 30 festival-goers fled to the fortified shelter at Re’im Junction, where they sought refuge, includingAner ShapiraandHersh Goldberg-Polin.According to survivors' testimonies, Shapira was the last to enter the shelter. When Hamas militants reached the shelter, Shapira armed himself with a broken bottle and stood at the entrance to fight off the attackers. One of the militants began throwinggrenadesone by one through the entrance of the shelter, aiming to harm those inside. Shapira, who stood close to the shelter's entrance, intercepted the grenades and threw them back out, away from the shelter. After blocking seven grenades this way, the eighth grenade exploded in his hand, killing him.[5][6]
Subsequently, Hamas forces and other organizations entered the shelter and violently dragged out the young survivors, some of whom were injured to varying degrees, and loaded them onto trucks to be kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. Among the kidnapped was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who lost his hand.[5][7]
The massacre at Alumim Junction Shelter
Some festival participants fled to Alumim Junction, where they hid in the fortified shelter at the junction. The militants reached the shelter and killed most of those inside. Noam Cohen, one of the survivors of the massacre, published "Noam’s Song 2,"documenting the moments of terror in the shelter, and later in a musical single withMaor Ashkenazi.[8][9]
Aftermath
On June 24, 2024, the Headquarters for the Return of the Hostages and Missing Persons released a video documenting the kidnapping of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levi, and Elia Cohen from the shelter.[10]The Israel National Roads Company was criticized for repainting the interior of the shelter, thereby covering up evidence of the violence and bloodshed that took place there.[11]
References
- ^"Israel investigates an elusive, horrific enemy: Rape as a weapon of war".Washington Post.2023-11-25.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^"How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7 - The New York Times".web.archive.org.2024-03-06.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^Byman, Daniel; McCabe, Riley; Palmer, Alexander; Doxsee, Catrina; Holtz, Mackenzie; Duff, Delaney (2023-12-19)."Hamas's October 7 Attack: Visualizing the Data".Mackenzie.
- ^"October 7 - How Hamas Attacked Israel, Minute-by-minute".
- ^ab"ענר ז" ל הציל שמונה במסיבה ברעים: "זרק חזרה כל רימון שהושלך למיגונית, השמיני התפוצץ"".maariv.co.il(in Hebrew). 2023-11-15.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^"Video Shows Hero Israeli Soldier Save Oct. 7 Festival-Goers by Tossing Back 7 Hamas Grenades Before He's Killed by 8th - The Messenger".web.archive.org.2023-11-14.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^Reals, Tucker (2024-04-25)."Hamas releases video of injured Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin - CBS News".cbsnews.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^Kershner, Isabel; Elkayam, Amit (2023-11-11)."They Ran Into a Bomb Shelter for Safety. Instead, They Were Slaughtered".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^"מיליון צפיות ב-3 ימים: השיר המרסק על" מיגונית המוות "".mako.2023-10-28.Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^צ'כנובר, יעל (2024-06-24)."הערב: יפורסם סרטון חטיפת הירש, אור ואליה מ" מיגונית המוות "".Ynet(in Hebrew).Retrieved2024-06-30.
- ^"הזיכרון שנמחק מ" מיגוניות המוות ":" מוחקים את ההיסטוריה "| חדשות 13".רשת 13(in Hebrew).Retrieved2024-06-30.
External links
- Death Shelter: The Refuge That Turned into a Deadly Trap at the Party
- October 7documentary byRichard SandersandAl Jazeera Investigative Unitalso onAl Jazeera's YouTube channel
