An Israeli woman who survived the Hamas attack on the Supernova music festival on October 7 last year suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and died by suicide, reports said.
Shirel Golan, the youngest of five children, took his own life in his apartment on Sunday, his 22nd birthday.
Her family accused the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of turning a blind eye to survivors of the Hamas attack.
“I saw her exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress, withdrawing and distancing herself from friends. I told her to take care of herself. They said they couldn’t get any help from the state,” her brother said. The Times of Israel reported that Eyal’s remarks were carried by Hebrew media.
“She said she has not received any assistance from the state. She has only received assistance from the (Nova Tribal Community Association),” he said.
“If the state had taken care of her, none of this would have happened,” he added.
She was also hospitalized twice after the Hamas attack, but was not identified as having PTSD, her family said.
How did she escape Hamas attack?
Shirel Golan and his partner Adi were among the thousands of people who fled the music festival when Hamas attacked attendees on October 7, 2023.
According to reports, the couple initially tried to leave the scene in their car, but decided they couldn’t escape and abandoned the car.
They then hid under bushes for hours until they were finally discovered by police officers.
While in hiding, the pair reportedly narrowly avoided getting into another car whose entire occupants had been killed or kidnapped by Hamas.
Hamas members attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s retaliatory military operations have killed more than 44,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health.
Israel believes 63 hostages, including two children, are still alive and 34 are confirmed dead but remain in Gaza.
For Hamas, which rules Gaza, the hostages are a key bargaining chip in negotiations with Israel for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
