The festive atmosphere at the Nova Festival in Kibbutz Re’im was abruptly shattered on October 7 at 6:29 am when air raid sirens wailed and Hamas fighters stormed the festival site. In a matter of seconds, the celebration turned into a scene of chaos and terror.
The attack resulted in a devastating loss of life, with 364 festival visitors killed and 40 taken hostage. Millet Ben Haim, one of the lucky survivors, recounted her harrowing experience in an interview with German newspaper Bild. She spoke about how the party had been a normal weekend until the music suddenly stopped due to the sound of rockets filling the sky.
Millet and her friends tried to flee in their car, but their escape was thwarted when they saw terrorists shooting at people in cars ahead of them. They attempted to go in the other direction but were met with similar violence. Eventually, they were forced to take off on foot through the fields, desperate to escape and find safety.
After hours of wandering and seeking refuge, Millet and her companions eventually hid in a bush with three other women, disguising themselves to avoid being found by the terrorists. Their prayers were answered when Ramy Davidian, a civilian who had saved over a hundred lives that day, found and rescued them.
Now Millet is reunited with her family but struggles to cope with the trauma and loss resulting from the attack. She feels like a different person, unable to connect with friends or family and overwhelmed by the magnitude of what happened that day.