Israeli rescue service Zak reports that medics have removed more than 260 bodies from a music festival attacked by Hamas militants.
The total number of bodies recovered is expected to be higher because other medical teams were working in the area, and Zaka added that "not all the bodies have been recovered yet."
Early Saturday morning, Hamas attacked the Nova techno music festival in the desert near the Gaza border.
Videos shared on social media and in Israeli media showed dozens of festival-goers running across an open field as they heard gunshots. Most of them hid in nearby gardens or were shot while fleeing.
British citizen Jake Marlowe, 26, a carpenter, worked as a security guard at the Nova music festival, just four miles east of Gaza, which was in full swing on Saturday when Hamas launched its biggest attack on Israel since decades.
Several witnesses and relatives told The Independent that she was one of dozens of festival-goers missing, kidnapped or presumed dead.
» Said Lisa, the mother of a 26-year-old. “Yesterday, in the middle of all this noise, he was taking care of security and he called me at 4:30 in the morning and told me there were all these missiles flying over me.” “Then around 5:30am he texted me ‘very bad sign ok I promise I’ll let you know’ and he loves me.
Relatives and friends received panicked messages from The Independent saying they were hurt and helpless, calling for help and the deployment of the army.
Videos from Gaza began appearing on the Internet on Saturday, including that of a young woman, Noa Argamani, who was kidnapped by Hamas militants while riding a motorcycle with a friend.
On Sunday, another video showed the mutilated body of a woman in her underwear in Gaza, identified by her friends as German tattoo artist Shani Luk. He is believed to be attending the same outdoor music festival.
“This is unlike anything we have ever seen,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an international spokesman for the Israeli military.
"There is deep concern for the well-being and lives of the hostages. At this point, I don't think anyone can guarantee that they will return alive. We don't know who is alive and who is dead."
"We recovered more than 260 bodies during the nature festival. Not all of them have been recovered yet," Zaka said in a statement Sunday evening.
Israeli military officials told The Independent that the attack was “unprecedented” and that they feared for the lives of the hostages.
More than 700 Israelis and 400 Palestinians have been killed since the attacks began Saturday morning. It is not clear how many Israelis were kidnapped, but Hamas is believed to be holding more than 100 hostage.
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