• Source:JND
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In a deeply tragic turn of events, Roei Shalev, a 29-year-old survivor of the Nova music festival massacre, was found dead in a burning car near Netanya, Israel, on Friday evening, October 10, almost exactly two years after his girlfriend, Mapal Adam, was killed in the same Hamas attack.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, Shalev's body was found at a highway exit shortly after CCTV footage indicated him fueling a canister with gasoline at a nearby gas station. The police confirmed that the car was intentionally torched, pointing to the possibility that Shalev had committed suicide.

Haunted By Memory Of October 7

Shalev was one of the hundreds who were at the Nova music festival, which was one of the first sites of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, killing over 360 individuals. His girlfriend, 27-year-old Mapal Adam, and their friend Hilly were among the dead.

The three had tried to make a getaway from the spot in their vehicle upon hearing shots, but they were ambushed along the road. In his subsequent recollection, Roei articulated the mayhem, "Bullets whizzed past us, grenades exploded nearby, and terror engulfed us from all directions."

 
 
 
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A post shared by Roei Shalev (@roeishalev)

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They took cover behind abandoned cars, Roei and Mapal behind one, Hilly behind another. Even though he had tried to cover Mapal, she was shot dead under him, while he was hit by a bullet in his back and managed to survive. Roei remained still for hours, covered with blood, feigning death until they came to rescue them. 

The Nova festival community, still reeling from the trauma of the 2023 massacre, expressed their devastation on social media. “Roei was a pillar of strength within the community, and his death is an immeasurable loss for us,” they wrote in a post mourning his passing.

They also urged the public to show compassion and sensitivity toward survivors of the attack, many of whom continue to grapple with severe post-traumatic stress. 

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Before his death, Shalev posted a heart-wrenching message on Instagram: “I’m truly sorry. I can’t bear this pain any longer. I’m burning inside, and I can’t contain it anymore.” He described the deep psychological scars that never healed, “I’m alive, but inside, I’m already dead.”