October 7 > Nova Festival > Testimony of Dor B
I was also there. I too went through the horrors that thousands of young people went through. I too was surprised to suddenly be shot at and attacked. All I could see was people running all over the place trying to hide and escape as quickly as possible.
I first noticed the rifle shots, everybody started running and no one understood what was going on. I lost contact with Dolev, my little brother, and it was like seeing black without him. I felt so weak, and yet that I must protect my life at all costs. Two friends of mine and I jumped inside the car and didn’t know what to do, when suddenly a speeding car hit us and three other cars. I got out to figure out what had happened. I discovered that the driver had been shot in the leg. Me and some other people took care of her and I found myself putting a tourniquet on her leg while being shot at. Afterwards we successfully loaded her onto an ambulance to evacuate her.
I then tried to find my friends again, but failed due to the gunfire that was shot at us. So there I was, all alone, without my friend or my brother, without knowing anything about how they were, where they were. I was still in the party area, finding myself hiding under cars and constantly moving, because the terrorists were walking around searching for people to shoot at. I saw them, but luckily, they didn’t see me.
"In that situation, you are not sure what to do, you just keep on running like crazy."
When I was a few meters from them, I saw a large group of people running toward me and I started running with them. As we were running, the bullets whistled beside our heads, hitting people. In that situation, you are not sure what to do, you just keep on running like crazy. After a while we found a bush and seven of us just lay there for about eight or nine hours. We had no water, a low battery on our cellphones and we were all alone. We couldn’t count on anyone except ourselves.
After a long time we heard soldiers talking in Hebrew near us, and asked them if they were from the IDF. They replied they were the IDF. We were overjoyed, but afraid because we were still under gunfire. The Israeli soldiers asked the men to take off their shirts and for all of us to walk with our hands in the air, so the IDF wouldn't shoot us by mistake.
We were rescued from the party area where the most atrocious things I have ever witnessed had happened. Unfortunately, the IDF took us behind a tank that was being shot at. But we weren’t petrified because we had the soldiers protecting us. After a few hours some military armored vehicles took us to safety. While driving to a more secured location we saw all the horrors that it is better not to describe. You can use your imagination.
"I would like to thank the IDF and other security forces, for without them I wouldn't be alive!"
After a long time without being sure if I would get out of there alive or not, and without saying goodbye to anyone, I met my two friends. Together we were thrilled to be out of danger, yet still broken with sadness from all the sights that we had seen. We were worried about our friends who hadn’t been rescued yet. Luckily after a while they were rescued as well.
I would like to tell the missing persons families: don’t lose hope for a second! We have a strong army! We have God that is always with us and looking out for us, even in rough times! I would like to thank the IDF and other security forces, for without them I wouldn't be alive! I would also like to thank God for protecting me all along. I hope we’ll have better days to come, it is time to fight for them! AM ISRAEL CHAY!
Dor B.