The Nova music festival was a psychedelic trance music festival held in the Negev Desert, Israel. On October 7, 2023, at sunrise, Hamas gunmen launched hundreds of rockets at Israel and breached the border from Gaza. Some of the gunmen then infiltrated the festival site, which was about three miles from the border.
The gunmen opened fire on the festival attendees, who were mostly young people. They also took some people hostage. The attack was particularly deadly because the festival was held in an open area, with few places to hide.
Over 260 people were killed in the attack, and dozens more were injured. The Israeli military eventually intervened and killed the gunmen, but not before they had caused a great deal of carnage.
The attack on the Nova music festival was a major escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. It was also a particularly heinous crime, as the gunmen targeted innocent civilians who were simply enjoying a music festival.