Tragic death of a Nova Festival survivor
A somber reminder of the lasting impact of the October 7 attacks emerged this week, when Roei Shalev, a 29-year-old survivor who helped his girlfriend in the moments before a deadly shooting at Nova Festival, was found dead near Poleg Beach in Netanya, Israel. The death comes two years after the brutal assault that claimed the life of his partner, Mapal Adam, 27, and left several others injured by Hamas gunmen who attacked the festival crowd.
The events of October 7, 2023
Roei Shalev, Mapal Adam, and their friend Hilly Solomon were dancing at the Nova Festival when rockets and gunfire shattered the night. The trio tried to flee by car, only to be cornered by attackers who closed in from all directions. They hid briefly under a car, but the gunmen found them and opened fire, killing Mapal and Hilly and wounding Roei with multiple gunshots.
Roei later described an hours-long ordeal, saying he waited seven agonising hours with two bullets in his back while his girlfriend and their friend lay dead nearby, until the Israeli army arrived to secure help. The trauma of that day profoundly affected him and his family in the years that followed.
Aftershocks and a family tragedy
In the weeks and months after the attack, Roei Shalev faced relentless pain and trauma. He publicly shared his grief and the struggle to cope, writing on a fundraising page for festival survivors and their families that he had lost the most important women in his life within one week. He described flashbacks, anxiety, and sleep disturbances that haunted him long after the shooting.
The tragedy extended beyond the initial victims. A week after Mapal Adam’s death, Roei’s mother took her own life, compounding the family’s sorrow and underscoring the heavy emotional toll of the events for those connected to the festival attack.
Two years on: a new loss and ongoing questions
Two years after the bloodshed at Nova Festival, questions about security, response times, and the experiences of survivors remain in the public eye. On the eve of the second anniversary, Roei Shalev posted a note on social media expressing a sense of unendurable pain, captioning it with words that many affected by violence may recognize: that the suffering was eating him up inside. His passing, reported near Poleg Beach, has prompted renewed attention to the mental health toll borne by survivors and families connected to the incident.
Israeli police said they have opened an investigation into Roei’s death, as authorities review the circumstances surrounding the incident at the seaside location. The case adds another layer to a broader conversation about support systems for those who lived through the festival attack and the long road to healing after such trauma.
What comes next for survivors and families
As investigators work to determine the cause of Roei Shalev’s death, authorities and advocacy groups emphasize the need for robust mental health resources for survivors and loved ones affected by the Nova Festival tragedy. Support networks, counselling services, and community outreach continue to be essential components of the healing process for those who lost someone important or who live with the aftershocks of such violence.
News organizations will continue to monitor developments in the case, including the police inquiry into Roei’s death and any broader inquiries into the Nova Festival attack. For those feeling overwhelmed by distress, helplines like Samaritans are available in the UK at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org, reminding readers that help is available in moments of crisis.
