1,000 Nova survivors recognized as ‘disabled’ terror victims

Survivors of the massacre witnessed Hamas terrorists murdering, raping, kidnapping, and mutilating their victims.

By World Israel News Staff

More than 2,000 attendees of the Nova Festival requested psychological assistance from Israel’s social services, and at least 1,000 survivors are recognized by the state as being disabled due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new report.

More than a year after the Nova Festival Massacre, the Knesset’s Information Center published a report regarding the psychological and financial support the state and social services have provided to survivors of the event.

399 people were murdered at the Nova party, marking the largest single-incident slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

According to the report, at least one Nova Festival survivor has taken their own life, with three others attempting suicide.

The National Insurance Institute has recognized 3,710 attendees as victims of terror, a status which provides them with rights including psychological help and financial aid, including compensation for those who cannot work due to their physical injuries or mental state.

At least 1,000 survivors are classified by the National Insurance Institute as suffering from disability, due to their level of trauma and mental distress interfering with their everyday functioning.

Survivors of the massacre witnessed Hamas terrorists murdering, raping, kidnapping, and mutilating their victims.

Slightly more than 2,000 attendees asked the state for mental support, including meeting with a psychologist.

75 percent of Nova Festival survivors are between the ages of 18 to 24, 20 percent are aged 25 to 45, and an additional 5 percent are younger than 18 or older than 45.

Notably, the report features incomplete data, as it only includes information about people who attended the party who were not members of the IDF.

It’s unknown exactly how many off-duty IDF soldiers attended the Nova Festival, but based on Israel’s mandatory draft and the ages of most attendees, the number likely includes hundreds of people.

Those who were IDF soldiers at the time of the massacre are treated by the army’s psychological welfare system, and therefore are not included in the report’s data.

This also means that suicides and suicide attempts by soldiers who survived the Nova Festival massacre are not reflected in the report.