On the night between October 6 and 7, 2023, the Supernova Sukkot Gathering it took place in theGaza envelope, located in the westernNegev desert,[4] approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) from theGaza–Israel barrier, near Re'im.[5][6]
On the morning of October 7, 2023, at 6:30 a.m., which was around sunrise,rockets launched from theGaza Strip were noticed in the sky.[7][1] Around 7:00 a.m., a siren warned of an incoming rocket attack, prompting festivalgoers to flee.[8] Subsequently, armed militants for theAl-Qassam Brigades fromHamas, dressed in military attire and using motorcycles, trucks andpowered paragliders, surrounded the festival grounds and indiscriminately fired on individuals attempting to escape.[9][10] The massacre at the festival was the largestterror attack inIsrael's history,[10] and the worst Israeli civilian massacre ever.[11]
The Memorial
Photos of the victims from the party are displayed at the memorial in the Re'im parking lot. At the site where the massacre occurred, a memorial was established in memory of the victims. OnTu BiShvat 5784, the families of the victims plantedtrees in memory of their loved ones, and theJewish National Fund (JNF) erected posts displaying photos of the murdered andkidnapped, along with Israeli flags. At the base of these posts, artists from across the country placed red anemone sculptures, symbolizing the flowers that bloom in the nearby Re'im forest during winter and serving as a metaphor for the young lives lost.[12][13][14]
Additionally, members of the civilian emergency response team displayed a sign with the message: "Bring Them Home Now," along with a fabric adorned with paintings of 40 colorful butterflies, representing the number of people kidnapped from the party.[2][15]
Since the massacre, thousands have visited the site to lay wreaths. School groups, security personnel, delegations from abroad, and others regularly visit the memorial.[1][16][17][18]
Photo of Ilay Nachman who was murdered
Photo of Eli Refael who was murdered
Photo of Omer Wenkert who was taken hostage
The Memorial in December 2023
Bomb shelter at the site decorated with memorial posters
