breakthrough in one of the world’s most painful and prolonged conflicts.
But even as diplomatic progress begins, the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the continuing war in Gaza still weigh heavily on countless lives — both Israeli and Palestinian.
He shielded her with his own body
During the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, more than 1,200 people were killed, including over 250 civilians — children, parents, and the elderly among them. Among those forever changed by that horrific day was Roei Shalev, a young Israeli man whose life would never be the same.
When Hamas terrorists stormed the Nova music festival, Roei witnessed unimaginable horror. His girlfriend, Mapal Adam, and his best friend, Hili Solomon, were both murdered before his eyes.
In a desperate act of love and protection, Roei shielded Mapal with his own body as gunfire tore through the festival crowd.
Moments later, Mapal, just 25 years old, was shot while hiding beneath a truck beside Roei. Seconds before being hit, she managed to send a final, trembling text to her sister:
“Don’t tell Mom. I’m scared. There’s a massacre. Bullets are hitting me in the head.”
Roei survived only by playing dead for several hours, until Israeli forces arrived to rescue the survivors.
A chain of heartbreak
The weight of that day crushed Roei’s spirit. His physical wounds eventually healed — but his emotional ones never did. Just two weeks after the attack, his mother, overcome with grief over Mapal’s death and her son’s pain, took her own life.
Tragedy struck yet again this month. Days after the second anniversary of the massacre, Roei Shalev, 30, was found dead in a burning car north of Tel Aviv.
Hours before his death, he posted a haunting message on social media:
“Please don’t be angry with me, please. No one will ever understand me, and that’s okay, because you can’t understand. I just want this suffering to end. I’m alive, but inside everything is dead.”
Friends and family immediately began searching for him, terrified by his words. Their fears were confirmed when emergency services discovered his body near Netanya. Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“I hope they’re hugging again”
In the wake of the tragedy, Mapal’s sister, television presenter Maayan Adam, shared a photo of the couple with a message that broke hearts across Israel:
“Roei was murdered on October 7 and died yesterday. I have no words, and it will take time to find them. I hope these two kids are hugging and smiling right now, hearts pressed together again.”
The Nova Community Foundation, which supports survivors and bereaved families, described Roei as “a pillar of strength” — someone who carried not just his own pain, but the pain of others.
“Roei’s loss is unimaginable,” the foundation said. “Remember him for his courage, his love for his friends, and his strength in supporting others even through his own darkness.”
A lasting wound
Roei’s story serves as a painful reminder that the consequences of terror extend far beyond the battlefield. When the gunfire stops, survivors are left to face invisible scars — the kind that linger long after the world has moved on.
Mental health experts and government officials in Israel have called for stronger psychological support for those affected by the October 7 massacre.
“Roei could not bear the pain,” one advocate said, “but there are many others still fighting to live. We must make sure they never feel alone.”
The Nova music festival massacre took over 370 lives and left thousands wounded, traumatized, and grieving. Roei’s passing adds another name to that list — another reminder that the suffering didn’t end when the shooting did.