At least 260 bodies found at Israeli dance party, revellers kidnapped after Hamas attack

Thousands of youths attended Nature Party, near Kibbutz Re’im close to Gaza, which became one of the first targets of Palestinian gunmen on Saturday

Attendee Noa Argamani is among dozens of Israelis apparently held captive in Gaza after video circulated showing her being carried away on a motorcycle

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Palestinian militants surround a truck reportedly carrying a captured Israeli after crossing the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis. Photo: dpa

Published: 6:13am, 9 Oct 2023Updated: 12:46pm, 9 Oct 2023

At least 260 bodies have been found at a music festival site in Israel following large-scale attacks by Hamas from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the Israeli news site Ynet reported on Sunday evening.

Emergency forces from the Zaka rescue service told the site that they had found the bodies.

Hamas had attacked revellers at the dance party near the border with Gaza and abducted numerous people into Gaza.

The media quoted eyewitnesses who spoke of a massacre. Videos circulating on the internet are said to show the revellers fleeing from the shots of the attackers.

A screengrab from a social media video on Saturday shows Noa Argamani as she is taken hostage. Photo: Video obtained by Reuters via Reuters

It is unclear whether the festival dead are included in the current total of at least 700 people killed, that several Israeli media reported, citing medical sources. More than 2,000 are reported injured.