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‘Lucky’ woman saves four lives in Hamas attack on Israeli festival

Noa Beer, 29, attended the Supernova Festival with a DJ on Saturday when Hamas militants stormed the festival with rockets and gunfire.

Jamel Smith
Tuesday 10 October 2023 13:30 BST
People attending a vigil outside Downing Street, central London, for victims and hostages of Hamas attacks (Lucy North/PA)
People attending a vigil outside Downing Street, central London, for victims and hostages of Hamas attacks (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

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A woman who saved four lives in the Hamas attack on an Israeli festival said it was “pure terror” being face to face with a gunman.

Noa Beer, 29, who has family in Manchester, attended the Supernova Festival with a DJ on Saturday when Hamas militants stormed the festival with rockets and gunfire.

She and four others narrowly escaped the festival after Ms Beer rammed her car through a roadblock while militants were shooting at them “like crazy”.

Ms Beer, who works in the music industry, told BBC North West Tonight: “I honestly did not think I was going to make it, I was a combat soldier in the Army and it was pure instinct that got us out.”

“About three minutes after they told us to get out of the area, I was in a car with the DJ.

“We were very lucky to have a car in the VIP section, and the fact that we had our backpacks and we didn’t have any tents made us able to leave very quickly.”

The pair drove briefly before encountering a gunman at a roadblock.

She said: “Israeli soldiers wear green vests and they had black vests.

“That was when I understood that they weren’t soldiers.

“They were all around us, surrounding the car completely.

“They started shooting at us.

“They were just shooting at us like crazy.”

She helped three people escape by dragging them into the car, including a woman with a gun wound in the leg.

She said: “The moment we were clear from the shooting, the only thing I had in my mind was getting the injured to the hospital.”

Rescue agency Zaka has reported over 260 bodies have been recovered from the festival site.

The British Foreign Secretary said a “significant number” of British-Israeli dual nationals have been caught up in the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

While Israel vowed retaliation against the Hamas militant group that would “reverberate … for generations”.

Ms Beer added: “People came to rave and enjoy themselves, they weren’t with weapons, they had no way to defend themselves and they just came into the party and shot everyone.

“I have so many friends whose parents have no idea where they are, so many people who have lost their lives.

“The world needs to know that these are people of love and peace and happiness who just came to party and were murdered with no way to defend themselves.

“I’m the lucky one.”

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