Heartbroken families gather at Nova festival site to pay tribute to loved ones massacred by Hamas on Oct 7 anniversary
GRIEVING families paid moving tribute to Hamas terror victims on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks amid a huge security operation today.
Loved ones of the dead paused for a chillingly poignant vigil at exactly 6.29am – the moment the massacres of 1,200 and kidnapping of 251 began exactly a year earlier.
The biggest pageant began before dawn at the Nova Music Festival site at Re’im just three miles from Gaza.
Exactly a year earlier, ravers were raving to a high energy dance track called Pixel by Space Cat when rockets and terrorists aboard paragliders filled the sky.
And yesterday the same track was played on a sound stage then cut short at exactly 6.29am – before a lone woman’s screams pierced the eerie silence.
The harrowing scene symbolised a fraction of the hell which erupted at the site as hundreds of armed Hamas savages stormed the site in an orgy or murder, rape and mutilation.
More than 360 revellers were cut down as they desperately attempted to flee the site.
And many of their families began gathering before dawn today to remember lost loved ones and console each other amid heartbreaking scenes.
Each of the festival victims was commemorated by a photograph above small memorials flickering flames and in the sands of the Negev Desert.
Families – many wearing t-shirts emblazoned with pictures of their lost loved ones – wept and hugged each other tightly in the pre-dawn glow.
The sad commemoration was punctuated by the deafening boom of outgoing Israeli artillery fire into Gaza and the occasion rattle of heavy machine gun fire in the distance.
A massive security operation was launched to protect the site and big guns opened fire to stop Hamas rocketeers triggering mayhem among mourners.
An Apache helicopter gunship hovered overhead backed by drones scouring potential threats and troops and police manned checkpoints leading to the venue.
The huge security presence was stepped up further to shield the arrival of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, who arrived on the stroke of 6.29am to console families.
His first lady Michal joined him and fought back tears as she hugged weeping relatives as the sound of weeping and booming big guns filled the air.
Lilting Israeli laments were sung from a small sound stage by Israeli musicians as the emotional throng said prayers with heads bowed.
But tension and constant reminders of Israel’s continuing conflict filled the air throughout the choreographed commemoration.
Mourners at the festival site included Michael and Lisa Marlowe – a British couple still reeling from the loss of their 26-year-old son Jake.
Jake was working as an unarmed security assistant on the festival site and was shot nine times as he tried to help other victims escape.
His mum Lisa from Potters Bar, Herts told The Sun: “I’m standing at the spot where my son last spoke to me for the last time exactly a year ago and it breaks my heart into a million pieces.
“But I had to come here because this is the place where I feel closest to him now – it’s become sacred to me.
“It was 4.30am in the morning, UK time, when I last spoke to him. He just said: ‘There’s a lot of rockets and crazy stuff going on mum but I’ll be ok. I’ll call you later.’
“But he never did and that was the last time I ever spoke to him.
“Four days later it was confirmed that he was among the dead and had been killed trying to help others trying to get away from the terrorists.
“That was just what he was like – he’d do anything for anyone.
“He was just a wonderful lad living his best life with everything to look forward to and now he’s been taken from us.”
Carpenter and musician Jake – who planned to marry – was commemorated by a touching hand-painted stone next to his memorial’s candle which read simply “Love You Son.”
Lisa said had visited the desert festival site five times in the past year to feel close to her lost boy.
And she has formed a close bond with other victims’ relatives, who she hugged in emotional scenes.
Israel Defence Forces chiefs later confirmed they had been forced to take action after detecting Hamas threats to anniversary events close to the border of their Gaza stronghold.
A drone alert also sound in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv before the vigils got under way.
An IDF spokesman said: “Following the identification of Hamas’ intentions to fire projectiles toward Israeli territory, and as a result of advance preparations, the IDF thwarted an immediate threat.
“A short while ago, the IAF struck Hamas launch posts and underground terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip.
Emily Hand is 'smiling again'
WHEN she ran into her dad’s open arms after 50 days of hostage hell in Gaza, nine-year-old Emily Hand was traumatised and broken.
The wide-eyed waif’s weight had crashed, her clothes and hair were matted and filthy and she was unable to speak in more than a whisper.
Her father Tom – who earlier had told the world his little girl was better off dead than in the clutches of Hamas savages – fought back his tears knowing he had to stay strong.
But today – on the first anniversary of the Hamas horror which rocked the world – the brave little girl who came back from the dead is busy rebuilding her life.
And her family’s story shines a rare ray of hope as war-torn Israel struggles to emerge from a year of darkness and despair.
Tom, 64, told the Sun: “Emily went through absolute hell but she’s a fighter – and she is smiling again.
“When she was released she was afraid to speak in more than a whisper because the terrorists had threatened to shoot or stab her if she made too much noise.
“But a year later she’s getting back to her old self and is as noisy and boisterous as ever – I never complain now no matter how noisy she gets!
“We have a new home in a new, safe, kibbutz further from Gaza and she’s back at school with some of her old friends and starting to enjoy life again.
“It’s awful remembering the dark times but I have to be thankful that I got her back and give her every chance to be happy and enjoy every day.
“Her recovery shows the terrorists that they will never beat her, they will never beat me, they will never beat the people of my kibbutz and they will never beat Israel.
“Hamas attacked us but they have succeeded only in making us stronger, more united and more determined.”
Dublin-born Tom – who grew up in London – travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near Gaza.
He had two children Aiden, 30, and Natali, 27, with wife Narkis before they split then had Emily with new partner Liat, who died of breast cancer when Emily was two.
Narkis, 52, was killed on October 7 when 400 Hamas thugs rampaged through the Be’eri kibbutz.
Emily was on a sleepover at a pal’s home when she was snatched and Tom survived by barricading himself inside a safe room for 19 hours.
Emily – who was rushed from house-to-house by Hamas fighters during gun battles with Israeli troops – turned nine while in Gaza before her release in November last year.
Tom – who has moved to a new home in the kibbutz of Hatzerim, 20 miles from Gaza – said: “Emily still gets scared of loud noises and wasn’t able to sleep alone for a long time after she came back.
“She still has nightmares but counselling has helped and things are much better now.
“She spent her last birthday in hell so I’ll be making sure she has a party to remember this year when she turns 10 on October 17.
“We’re happy now but things will never truly be the same and no one feels able to properly resume their lives until the remaining hostages in Gaza are free.
“This October 7 we’ll be remembering those who died but also those still being held.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have Emily back but our thoughts are always with the hostages.”
“Furthermore, overnight, the IAF and IDF artillery struck targets in the central Gaza Strip that posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area.
“The IDF conducts advance assessments of possible Hamas attacks and acts accordingly, offensively and defensively.
“The defensive guidelines of the IDF Homefront Command are lifesaving.”
Meanwhile, in kibbutz Reim, survivors and families today gathered and visited where they were hiding during the Hamas attack.
Tensions had spiralled across the south of the embattled nation as a terrorist gunman killed a woman cop and wounded 11 other commuters at a rail hub on Sunday.
And Hamas launched a rare rocket salvo from its Gaza stronghold in southern Israel close to the spot where commemorative events were due to take place.
Hero cop Sgt Shira Suslik died in hospital after attempting to tackle a gun maniac who went on the rampage outside a train station’s McDonalds in Beersheba.
Ambulance teams said victims with gunshot wounds included another woman in her 20s with serious injuries and four men in their 20s, said to be in moderate condition.
Five more suffered minor injuries when they were struck by flying glass as the terrorist opened fire and three more suffered serious shock during the gun horror.
The attack came just hours before thousands of Israelis were due to attend Nova Festival massacre site at Re’im, 25 miles to the west.