"I Sprawled over the Bodies," Says Brazilian Who Survived Hamas Attack at Rave

Rafael Zimerman, 27, says he pretended to be dead at event interrupted by conflict in Israel

  • Read aloud
Diogo Bercito
Washington

Rafael Zimerman, 27, arrived in Israel in May. He had left Brazil, among other reasons, due to the lack of security in the country.

A grab from a UGC video posted on Telegram on October 9, 2023, shows an armed Palestinian militant leading a man during the Supernova music festival, near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Hamas gunmen killed around 250 people who attended an outdoor music festival in an Israeli community near Gaza at the weekend, a volunteer who helped collect the bodies said on Monday. (Photo by ANONYMOUS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL - AFP

On Saturday (7), he went out to dance with friends. The party was interrupted by the invasion of militants from the Palestinian terrorist faction Hamas. Zimerman fled with two other Brazilians and hid in a shelter. "That's when hell began," he says. Armed men surrounded the place, threw grenades, and shot at them. The Brazilian says he had to pretend to be dead for hours.

"I sprawled over the bodies, I just wanted to die peacefully. I just wanted them to shoot me." He survived. He was rescued by security forces alongside Brazilian Rafaela Treistman. Treistman's boyfriend, Ranani Glazer, disappeared. Glazer's aunt confirmed to Folha on Monday (9) that he was found dead. Zimerman was injured in the back by shrapnel and had to be hospitalized.

Read the article in the original language