(NewsNation) — Videos across social media showing people running for their lives from an Israeli music festival are still circulating on social media, but few answers have emerged in the days since. It’s left families and loved ones anxious as the war intensifies.
In addition to the untold number of hostages, at least 250 people died at the festival.
The attack happened near the Gaza-Israel border, and the music festival was right in the middle of it all.
Guy Bouskila, who left Israel with his family, said festival-goers were ambushed.
“Hundreds, if not thousands, of young people dancing and having fun and they were ambushed. They were literally ambushed,” Bouskila said.
On foot, partygoers recorded rockets from a distance. Festival organizers said hundreds were able to escape. But many were dragged away by Hamas militants.
“We have a big party next to Gaza, and then they go to the party and murder kids. They took them,” Esther Estiakiva, who also left Israel with her family, said.
The festival organizers addressed the attack on social media, sending condolences and pledging to do whatever they could to help. Organizers created a Google doc for families to fill out if they are looking for loved ones.
However, many festival goers are still missing days later.
The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack. At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza.
There have been numerous reports of Hamas taking people hostage and holding them captive, including Americans. In fact, there are reports of people at the festival texting loved ones back here in the United States as the attacks started happening on Saturday morning.
In one case, the Jerusalem Post reported that a 23-year-old American texted his parents during the attack, writing, “I love you and I’m sorry.”