A music festival in Israel ended in chaos when the terrorist group Hamas opened fire on attendees last year, leaving hundreds dead and sparking a state of war between Israel and Palestine. Now, survivors of the festival are suing the Israeli government, claiming that the massacre could have been “very easily prevented.”
The Supernova music festival was set to take place from October 6 to 7, bringing thousands of people to the Israeli desert of Negev in Re’im near the Gaza border to coincide with the Jewish festival of Sukkot. However, the scene quickly changed as rockets were fired-off and 50 terrorists arrived in military uniforms, opening fire at anyone in their path.
“We saw terrorists killing people, burning cars, shouting everywhere,” one attendee described to NBC. “If you just say something, if you make any noise, you’ll be murdered.”
A group of survivors filed a claim for NIS200 million (£43m/$54m/€50m) at the Tel Aviv District Court, naming the Shin Bet security service, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israel Police, and the Defense Ministry as defendants, The Times of Israel reports. According to the claim, the plaintiffs said the government failed to protect festivalgoers on multiple occasions from the militant group, writing “the negligence and gross oversight is beyond belief.”
The suit noted the horrific acts that took place, which included people being raped and burned alive. Among those killed was a 30-year-old German tattoo artist named Shani Louk. According to The Daily Mail, Louk’s body was paraded in the back of a Hamas pick-up truck while militants sat on top of her and cheered.
Additionally, the plaintiffs claimed that officers in the IDF’s Gaza Division expressed their concerns about the festival, and a consultation was even held the night before over fears that an attack could take place — though the event still went on as planned. Several hours before the attack, at least two IDF assessments were held due to unusual incidents on the Gaza Strip border, the suit said.
“A single phone call by IDF officials to the commander responsible for the party to disperse it immediately in view of the expected danger would have saved lives and prevented the physical and mental injuries of hundreds of partygoers, including the plaintiffs,” the lawsuit read, according to the Times.
The survivors are asking for loss of earnings, pain and suffering, loss of future earnings, and medical expenses.
