A survivor of the Nova festival massacre who shielded his girlfriend during the attacks has died two years after the tragedy.
Roei Shalev was found dead just days after the second anniversary of the murder of his girlfriend by Hamas terrorists at the music festival on October 7, 2023.
Shalev, 29, was dancing with his partner, Mapal Adam, 26, when Hamas rockets suddenly interrupted the festivities.
As the pair were driving away from the festival in a bid to escape the attack, they encountered a woman lying on the floor covered in blood.
They were then forced to take cover under vehicles as gunmen opened fire.
Shalev attempted to shield his girlfriend from the bullets raining down on them but Mapal was shot in the back and died right beneath him.
Their friend, Hilly Solomon, 26, was also shot dead underneath another car.
Shalev was later discovered alive by IDF soldiers, having stayed still and played dead as groups of Hamas fighters shot at him.
Shalev’s mother, Raffaela, took her own life a week after the massacre, unable to take the pain of the memory of October 7.
On the anniversary, Shalev wrote on Instagram that he was still ‘full of pain’ from ‘the most terrible day in my life’.
In a touching message to Mapal and Hilly, he added: ‘And sorry, my girls.
A huge sorry that I couldn’t keep you safe on this terrible day. You know that I did everything. I did everything to keep you, my loved ones. I
preferred to die in agony and for you to survive this.’
However yesterday, the Nova survivor shared a heartbreaking message saying he ‘could not bear this pain any longer’.
His body was later found in a car, the Jerusalem Post reported.
In a statement, Shalev’s family requested that they be able to mourn in private.
The Nova festival paid tribute to a ‘pillar of strength’.
It said in a statement on Instagram: ‘The Nova community is heartbroken and deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Roei Shalev, a member of our community who passed away due to tragic circumstances.
‘Roei was a pillar of strength within the community, and his death is an immeasurable loss for us. We share in this deep sorrow with his family, friends, and the Nova community, and we honor his memory.’
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Safeheart, a charity which provides support to victims of the October 7 attack and their families, said ‘hearts were broken’ following the news of Shalev’s passing.
‘This terrible tragedy is a painful reminder that for many survivors, the trauma of October 7 has not ended’, it said in a statement.
‘It continues to live within them, day by day, moment by moment.
‘The pain does not simply fade with time; in many cases, it grows stronger.’
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