‘Don’t Be Angry With Me…’: Roei Shalev, Survivor Of 7 October Nova Festival Attack Dies By Suicide

Roei Shalev, one of the 30-year-old survivors of the October 7, 2023, Nova music festival attack in Israel, has taken his own life, days short of the second anniversary of the deadly Hamas-led attack. Shalev, who saw his girlfriend and best friend brutally killed during the massacre, was discovered dead in his torched car near Tel Aviv on Friday evening.

Shalev’s Facebook post several hours before his death indicated how much pain he was experiencing. “Please don’t be angry with me, please. No one will ever understand me, and that’s OK because you can’t understand. I just want this suffering to end. I’m alive, but inside everything is dead” he posted, causing alarm among friends and followers.

The tragic attack

In the 2023 attack, over 370 concert-goers were assassinated when militants crossed into Israel from Gaza and attacked the Nova music festival as well as surrounding settlements. Shalev was wounded while attempting to save his girlfriend, Mapal Adam, who, together with his best friend Hili Solomon, died in front of him. He stayed by her side for hours before he was rescued by the army.

Shalev’s own tragedy was added to by the prior suicide of his mother, who died two weeks following the attack in grief over the loss of Adam. Maayan Adam, who is Shalev’s dead girlfriend’s sister, honored her on social media, sharing a photograph of the couple and saying, “Roei was murdered on 7 October and passed away yesterday. Hope these two kids are hugging and smiling today, hearts pressed together again.”

Nova Tribe Community Foundation praised Shalev

The Nova Tribe Community Foundation, which assists the survivors of the attack, described Shalev as “a backbone of the community” and asked people to recall his bravery, generosity, and service to the community.

Israeli politicians and public figures were shocked at the death of Shalev, emphasising the critical need for improved mental health support for survivors of October 7 attacks.

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