Michal Ohana remembers what she said to her mother, in what thought would be her final words on October 7, 2023.
“I called my mum and said, ‘Mum, I love you, but I think I’m gonna die because nobody (is) coming, and they shot me, I’m bleeding,” the 27-year-old recalls.
Ohana had been shot in the leg by Hamas militants who had broken through the Gaza border to the site of the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel, where dozens of festival-goers had been partying.
A memorial for Israeli festival goers killed by Hamas at the site of the Supernova Music Festival in Southern Israel, 19 September 2024. Source: EPA / epa
Ohana remembers up until that point, it had been “the best festival”.
“The people, the vibe, the energy – everyone was smiling.”
When she heard the sound of shotguns, she and her friends hid in a car.
When the car came under fire, they fled the vehicle and started running.
Ohana recalls running over dead bodies on the ground.
She hid in an Israeli military tank for seven hours and that’s when she rang her mother, saying her goodbyes.
Ohana was eventually rescued by Israeli military but says she lost 10 of her friends. Two of her friends were taken hostage.
On Sunday, she shared her story of survival at a candlelight Sydney vigil to commemorate the lives lost and those still held captive since October 7.
Sydney resident Melissa McCurdie spoke of her extended family members who are hostages in Gaza.
“The not knowing is unbearable,” she told SBS News.
“Don’t forget the hostages. There are 101 of them still missing. We need to bring them back immediately.
“The world needs to respect Israel and its need to protect itself, just as any other self respecting country would do when attacked like that.”
Israeli authorities estimate at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the October 7 attacks.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign aimed at recovering the hostages and destroying Hamas. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to health authorities in Gaza.
While 117 hostages have been released, .
