*This article contains image-like descriptions of violence that can be triggering.*

On the morning of October 7, 2023, the inaugural "Supernova Sukkot" psytrance rave near the Gaza Strip resulted in over 260 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Promoted as a "journey of unity and love," the event has left over one hundred festival attendees unaccounted for, either held captive or awaiting recovery.

Militants from Gaza targeted this desert rave shortly after sunrise, following a night of dancing. The festival-goers, numbering in the hundreds, were plunged into chaos as the event was overrun by terrorists. Supernova attendees commented to The Guardian and said the first rocket blast “sounded like it was part of the music”.

As missiles streaked through the rising sky above the rave, panic set in, with many people leaving the dance floor and fleeing into the desert with their loved ones, all in search of safety. The treacherous events that happened right on the dance floor of the rave included brutal rape, looting, and point-blank murder of people from Israel and overseas.

Footage captured from the air and shared on social media displayed numerous vehicles lining the road near the festival entrance. Some were charred, while others had missing windows and open doors. On the dry coastal lowlands, their lifeless bodies from the rave were uncovered last Sunday, with numerous others still unaccounted for, held as hostages in Gaza.

Israeli Rave Fan, Amir Ben Natan, spoke to Rolling Stone after fleeing the murderous scene, “This was a nightmare. Shocking. I couldn’t dream in my worst nightmare something like this. I know in Israel, there are terror attacks once in a while. But this was an army of attackers. This is why it took us so much time to understand. We couldn’t imagine that hundreds of terrorists could invade Israel like this. I feel like I was hunted. They tried to kill me. Not just me, everyone at the festival. We were helpless. We were unarmed civilians who just wanted to have fun.”

The Israel Defense Forces have now declared a "state of preparedness for war" and initiated retaliatory aerial strikes in Gaza, an expanse of 140 square miles where 2 million Palestinians have been living under a blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took control in 2007. The rise of conflict seems to be just the beginning of more related hate-crimes to come.

Across the globe, we have observed widespread protests, including major cities Sydney and New York City, where people are voicing their concerns and grievances regarding the situation involving both Palestinians and Israelis. Additionally, support has been expressed for the Hamas organization, an entity with a known history of targeting Jewish individuals.

As more information emerges and becomes exposed regarding this invasion, it is evident that this is not merely a political issue but a grave humanitarian crisis. There can be no justification for the acts of rape and brutal mutilation inflicted upon men, women, children, and even infants within the last seventy-two hours.

Many readers have experienced the exhilaration of witnessing the sunrise at a music festival, surrounded by hundreds of like-minded individuals. The unimaginable and shocking turn of events is that over one hundred festival attendees during this sunrise have been taken captive, a scenario previously deemed beyond belief.

Families are still out there looking for their loved-ones that were in attendance at the rave. The videos and news circulating throughout the globe are of utmost importance for us to share, relay and distribute throughout our musical community to bring these captives home safe to their families. This is an urgent call to the international music community, one of which has deep roots in Israel.

For the peace and love of the dance floor we all know and call home, it's our time to share this message.

Ways to Provide Non-Political Relief:

The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror

A first responder when terror strikes, providing immediate assistance to terror victims, arriving with checks within 24-48 hours of an attack, and following up with long term rehabilitative support.

https://www.jafina.org/crisis-in-israel/ 

Alliance for Middle East Peace

ALLMEP is a coalition of over 170 non-governmental organizations, including tens of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis, for Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilding. 

https://www.allmep.org/donate-now/

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency

UNRWA estimates that more than half of the 123,000 people internally displaced in Gaza from the latest round of fighting are sheltering in dozens of schools. It has designated emergency shelters to host them and provide critical aid.

https://donate.unrwa.org/gaza/~my-donation 

International Red Cross

ICRC is an impartial, neutral, and independent organization with a humanitarian mission to help victims of armed conflict and violence. It has called for an end to the violence between Israel and Hamas militants. 

https://www.icrc.org/en/donate 

The Carter Center

The Carter Center has been promoting peace in Israel and Palestine since the 1990s. 

https://rb.gy/lhm6w 

Citation:

Dillon, N. (2023, October 9). “I Felt Hunted”: Israeli Rave Fan Describes Fleeing Massacre. 

Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/israel-supernova-music-festival-attendee-1234849331/

Hurst, D., Karp, P., & Rose, T. (2023, October 9). Australia’s leaders condemn “abhorrent” 

scenes after anti-Jewish chants filmed at Sydney rally. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/10/pro-palestine-rally-sydney-opera-house-protest-australia-leaders-condemn-anti-jewish-chants

Parnaby, L. (2023, October 8). Pro-Palestine groups rally in NYC’s Times Square. Mail Online. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12607931/Times-Square-Palestine-rally-Hamas-Israel.html 

Rosenfeld, J. (2023, October 9). Israelis Scramble to Find Rave Survivors and Scream: “How 

Could We Be So Weak?” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/israeli-rave-survivors-families-gaza-hamas-1234849064/

Sherwood, H. (2023, October 9). How the Hamas attack on the Supernova festival in Israel 

unfolded. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/09/how-the-hamas-attack-on-the-supernova-festival-in-israel-unfolded 

Williams, P. P. M. R. W. L. J. (2023, October 9). Israel festival revelers shot at point-blank range, 

video shows. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/middleeast/israel-hamas-music-festival-aftermath-intl-hnk/index.html