The death toll from the massacre at Israel’s Supernova festival has been raised to more than 360, according to a new report.
It was originally reported that at least 260 people were killed and dozens taken hostage after Hamas stormed the psy-trance music gathering, held in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im, not far from the Gaza Strip, last month.
The Times of Israel, via TV station Channel 12, reports the revised death count equates to a third of the 1,200 people killed in the coordinated 7 October attacks on Israel and makes up half of all civilian casualties.
Supernova was attended by around 4,000 people, but while the attack was the deadliest ever assault on a music event, police believe Hamas was unaware of the festival in the lead-up to the massacre.
Channel 12 says that investigators reached that conclusion after questioning of captured terrorists, and also because they did not find maps on the bodies of dead terrorists directing them to the event, in contrast to the other massacres that day.
“We will dance again and that will be our victory”
The TV report added that police believe the perpetrators only became aware a major event was taking place in the Re’im area and headed towards it after police began dispersing festival-goers because of the wider attacks.
Supernova Sukkot organisers Tribe of Nova paid tribute to the victims at an official memorial ceremony last week.
“We went through something that we had no control over, we will take care of everyone and help everyone,” said Omri Sassi and Nimrod Arnin at the memorial, held at Kibbutz Sdot Yam. “We love the country. We will dance again and that will be our victory.”
Staged under the Universo Paralello brand, the Brazil-hailing festival was being held in Israel for the first time. Acts included Artifex, Aladin, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.
Executives from Israel’s live music industry have called the Hamas attack the “biggest-ever disaster at a music festival”, adding that business will be paused for the foreseeable future.
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