Omri Lavi

Omri, from Ramat Gan, was murdered at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im by Hamas terrorists. He had recently returned from a big trip overseas and went to celebrate at Nova.

'An amazing guy, a redhead with a redhead's character' his friends tell about him. Before his remains were identified, his family still had no information regarding his fate. His father Itzik, while being interviewed said "We are in the Holocaust," "We are in a system frenzy, hanging in the air. You don't know what's going on, you don't know how to behave, and you don't know how to live. He is not on the list of the wounded, he is not on the list of the kidnapped, so you no longer know what is. We are waiting for any video, any information, anything. We are between total denial, madness, and loss of temper."

"They departed around ten in the evening," recounted his father. "Around four in the morning, he exchanged messages with his brother. Then, at six thirty, when the alarms sounded, I reached out to him. I knew he was at the party, but I wasn't aware of the imminent danger. He responded at 06:54, informing me, 'Dad, there are alarms. We're heading to the car, but the police are directing us away.' A sense of unease gripped me, prompting another call at seven, urging him, 'Maybe it's best not to drive. Try to find a safe haven because the gunfire persists.' He replied, 'I can't. The police are urging us to vacate, and I can't stay.' Despite my concerns, he reassured me, saying, 'Everything is fine, father,' exuding a sense of calm, peace, and reassurance. Moments later, he conversed with his mother, and that marked the end of our exchange."