Davidian’s heroic efforts involved some 20 perilous trips spanning 15 to 17 kilometers between the festival grounds and nearby communities.
As Israel solemnly marks one year since the devastating Hamas-led October 7 attacks, stories of extraordinary bravery continue to emerge. One such account, initially reported by the Times of Israel, stands out as a testament to the indomitable human spirit in the face of unimaginable horror.
Oz Davidian, a farmer from Maslul near the Gaza border, became an unexpected hero on that fateful day.
As Hamas terrorists unleashed chaos at the Nova music festival in Re’im, Davidian transformed his truck into a lifeline, rescuing approximately 120 young people from certain death.
Chilling dashboard footage from Davidian’s vehicle, released months after the attack, provides a harrowing glimpse into the terror that unfolded. It shows Davidian navigating through a landscape of destruction, dodging gunfire, and maneuvering off-road to evade being killed.
His voice can be heard warning passengers, “Terrorists! Watch out!” as he swerves to safety.
Davidian’s heroic efforts involved some 20 perilous trips between the festival grounds and nearby communities. Each journey spanned 15 to 17 kilometers, with Davidian ingeniously altering his route each time to outmaneuver the terrorists.
All the while, his own family sheltered in their home’s shelter, their fate uncertain.
The footage and subsequent interviews reveal the extent of the horror Davidian witnessed. He described scenes of unimaginable brutality, such as hundreds of corpses strewn across roads and fields, burning vehicles, and acts of violence too graphic to recount in detail.
In one heart-stopping moment, Davidian found himself face-to-face with terrorists. Quick thinking and his knowledge of Arabic allowed him to escape, though not without coming under fire. “By some miracle, none of them hit the car,” he later recalled.
Davidian’s actions that day went beyond mere transportation. He became a beacon of hope for the terrified survivors, many of whom had been hiding for hours, convinced they had been abandoned.
One rescued girl even mistook him for a special forces operative, unable to believe that a civilian would risk everything to save them.