This happened with the Colombians in the attack on the Gaza Strip – Foreign Ministry credit – UN
A year ago the world was shocked by the cruel attack perpetrated in Israel by the extremist group Hamas. Hundreds of attendees at an electronic music festival held on the border between that territory and the Gaza Strip died amid harassment.
Among the fatal victims of that armed attack are two Colombians, but they were not the only Colombians affected by the tragedy of October 7, 2023. The husband of another citizen was kidnapped and a DJ who participated in the event survived.
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The Colombians who died in the Hamas attack were identified as Ivonne Rubio and Antonio Mesías Motano. This is a married couple who were born in Israel, but both had Colombian parents. Three years ago they had joined their paths to form a family with their two children.
The young people were enjoying the electronics party Tribe of Nova, that was taking place in the Negev desert, a region far from southern Israel, when gunshots silenced the music.
Image of Antonio Macías and Ivonne Rubio, the Colombians who were murdered in Israel – Instagram credit Ivonne Rubio
Rubio and Montano managed to communicate with their parents minutes after the terrorist attack began. Ivonne, for her part, told her father that they were at war, while she ran with her partner towards a bunker. On the other hand, her husband called his mother and told her that once they were safe he would contact her again. That never happened.
Later the authorities of that territory iThey reported that the young woman’s body was found lifeless in the middle of the desert, while his partner was missing. Days later, the death of the young man was also confirmed.
In the attack with missiles, rifles and other weapons, which came from all angles, at least 260 people lost their lives, according to information collected by international media at the time.
Rebeca González, a Colombian resident in Israel, has been living in uncertainty since October 7, 2023, when she received a video where her husband, Elkaná Bohbot, appears tied and beaten.
González, who was woken up by her mother-in-law with the news that they were at war, has not heard from her husband since.
According to what is known, Bohbot was one of the workers at the electronic music festival that took place in the Negev desert. The Colombian woman managed to speak with him after learning about the terrorist attack and asked him to return home as soon as possible.
View of the result of the attack by the Hamas group, carried out on October 7, 2023, on the Nova electronic music festival in Israel – credit Manuel de Almeida/EFE
That never happened, because Rebeca’s husband decided to help the people who were at the event rather than run for cover. Hours later, the video showing Bohbot in worrying conditions reached González, who now lives with the anguish of not knowing if her husband is still alive.
“We are facing terror, murderers who came in to take people out and burn families. It is inhumane to take away the elderly, take away babies, take away civilians. The country is on its knees. Everything is closed. We all have that feeling of not knowing anything. What we are experiencing in Israel is heartbreaking,” the Colombian told Caracol News then.
Laura Malo, another Colombian citizen, experienced moments of terror in Israel when she was caught in the middle of the fire that began the massacre caused by Hamas.
As reported in an interview with Semana Magazine, a few days after the events, Malo was rescued by the Israeli army after having been missing for 15 hours after the attack, which left a devastating toll of victims.
The Colombian DJ, who lives in a city near the border with Gaza, described the situation as a “massacre” and mentioned that at the time of the interview the missiles did not stop in the region.
Image of the moment in which attendees of the electronic festival are attacked by the Hamas group – credit video capture social networks
During the interview, Malo shared that she was accompanied by a friend at the festival when the shooting started. “They almost killed me,” he expressed, reflecting the seriousness of the situation he experienced.
“It was a very complicated situation because everything was normal, people were happy and, suddenly, they started bombing, but they didn’t stop. That was an hour and a half, two hours in which the bombs did not stop. I have lived here in the country for 15 years and this has never happened.“said the Colombian.
“A friend and I took my car and ran away, a lot of people ran away, we didn’t know what to do. Terrorists with machine guns and on motorcycles began to chase and shoot everyone. They shot us in the car, we managed to escape, luckily, thank God, the truth is that I am here alive by a miracle”he added.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated, leaving many people caught in the middle of the violence. The international community watches with concern the development of events, while the affected families wait for answers and solutions that will put an end to their suffering.
