Noam Tal was very excited about this rave. This was the first Israeli edition of the Tribe of Nova group's "Universo Paralello" music festival, born in Brazil in 2000 and dubbed "Supernova" for the Israeli edition. "It has a very good reputation and is attended by a well-informed crowd. I had bought my tickets three months ago. A lot of my friends were going," recalled the 27-year-old.

He was a regular at these events, which the Israelis imported from the beaches of Goa, India, in the 1990s. In Hebrew, they are nicknamed "nature parties" rather than "rave parties " because they take place in the open air. He started going to these parties 10 years ago. He went every Thursday, made a bunch of friends and refined his tastes: He likes Goa trance, which is particularly energetic. In more recent times, Tal has been going to parties, preferably legal ones, preferring the company of people older than himself.

Broad-bodied, with slightly shy gestures, the young man lives in the Israeli army-occupied West Bank, in the settlement of Kedumim – which is illegal under international law. He lives with his parents, who have been there since 1980 – they were among the first inhabitants of this community, founded in 1975. Tal seems to find his place at these festivals. "It's an important part of my life, and I love it. Music puts me in a state of peace that does me good," he said. "I feel like myself."

It had become quite a ritual. "We prepare the camping gear and meals. Then we go there, picking up our friends along the way. We arrive, settle in and greet friends and acquaintances. This festival was my first time in that part of the country. There were really lots and lots of people. I've been to three festivals like that in my life." Everything was planned: sound, lighting, misting machines, bar and catering.

The rave began. Some 3,500 people danced to the rhythm of the music. The whole night was spent there, near a small eucalyptus grove, five kilometers from the Gaza Strip. The enclave has been under siege by Israel since Hamas took control of it in 2007. How many festival-goers were aware of this? And how many didn't want to know, confident in the protection offered by one of the world's most heavily secured borders?

Nothing to shelter behind

At 6:40 am on Saturday, October 7, the sun rose. As the concert drew to a close, muted thuds rang out in the sky, accompanied by flashes of light, like a thunderstorm. Hamas had fired salvos of rockets, intercepted by the Iron Dome, Israel's air defense system. "We danced all night, until the music stopped and we saw the rockets in the sky," said Neta Abir-lev, a 23-year-old waitress who attended at least one or two festivals a month. She came with a group of 15 friends, including Karine Journo, who is a dual-French national and whose broken foot was in a cast.

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