The Mirror’s Defence Editor meets the families of some of the young victims of Hamas’ deadly killing rampage two years ago at the Nova Festival site in southern Israel
Deadly tank and artillery fire rang out yesterday as families honoured their young loved ones who died at Nova Festival.
Quiet and dignified pockets of grief gathered at the site of the outdoor party, in southern Israel, where some 400 were slaughtered. This was, it is believed the most concentrated site of violence meted out on southern Israel as Hamas went on a killing rampage two years ago.
It was here that some of the opening shots of the war in Gaza rang out, cruelly ending the lives of young festival goers who had been partying throughout the night. At the Nova Festival site, a few hundred metres from Gaza, where the war is still raging, grieving relatives described their aching loss, amid a forest of trees, flags and memorial pictures.
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There was Noa Farage, 22, from north of Tel Aviv and whose life was full of hope and positive energy, killed within the first hour of war, her family said. Her mother Vicky, father David and elder brothers Sean, 34, and Tom, 37, said she died close to the spot where they were standing, her photo on a plaque nearby.
Vicky tearfully said: “We have no anger as we are not that kind of family. Just beautiful memories, 22 years of those memories. Yes of course there is great sadness and she was taken from us. We remember her here today and every day.” As she wept, suddenly overcome with grief, relatives led her away and she pointed to her two sons to speak about their sister.
Noa’s brothers smiled at the mention of their younger sister’s name and nodded in the background. Nearby is a photo of Noa as she prepared to go on a dream trip to Thailand. Nova Festival was meant to be her leaving party. Marauding Hamas killers made sure she never made it.
Musician Sean told the Daily Mirror: “She was a wonderful person, so positive and happy. We all try to live by the way she led her life, to think positively and look to the future. Also we are not political. Of course we miss her so much every day and it is deeply sad to be here whilst also enjoying happy memories.”
Tom nods in agreement, even as more outgoing tank fire unleashes from a nearby artillery camp, as if emphasising that the war rages on. The noise is almost deafening but this is southern Israel, where for two years it has become normalised. Even a memorial ceremony cannot halt the tempo of war being waged on Hamas killers who stalked their prey so cruelly in the early hours of October 7 two years ago.
Tom said: “We avoid politics and even talk of what’s happening but you could say we want this war to end.” And of the Palestinians on the other side of the embattled border Tom, a personal trainer, says: “This was a leaving party for her and that is of course awful as she did not make it to Thailand.
“But she was a happy and positive thinking person. Today we just have happy thoughts about her and sadness she’s no longer with us Two years ago I never would have believed that the war would be ongoing now, and the noises of firing weapons so close to this site.”
Even as we spoke the deafening bang of the IDF firing on sites within Gaza drew a huge question mark over peace talks. The October 7 attacks killed some 1,200 and 250, mostly Israeli, were kidnapped. A staggering 69,000 Palestinians have been killed, with another 10, 000 feared lying dead under rubble.
Even as we talk to the grieving at Nova, peace talks are underway between Hamas and Israel hundreds of miles away in Cairo. But the people of Gaza, civilians and Hamas fighters are still dying – machine gun fire and explosions penetrating the silence of those grieving at the Nova site.
On this side of border people have begun the long grieving process of recovery – but that is still some time away for the Gazans still dying. Tom added: “Of course we want the war to end. Nobody wants the suffering on either side to keep going. I cannot believe this war is still going on to this day. We would never have believed it two years ago.”
