The wounds of October 7, 2023, continue to claim lives long after the initial attack. Roei Shalev, 30, survived the horrific assault on the Nova music festival, but the trauma proved too much to bear. Two years and three days after watching his girlfriend die in his arms following Hamas terror attack, Shalev took his own life in Tel Aviv.
The young Israeli man’s death adds another heartbreaking chapter to the ongoing pain felt by survivors of that terrible day. When Hamas terrorists stormed the outdoor music festival, at least 378 people lost their lives, most of them civilians just trying to enjoy music and dancing under the open sky.
Shalev’s final hours paint a picture of unbearable suffering. On October 10, he shared his pain with the world through social media. His words revealed the depth of his struggle: “Please don’t be angry with me. No one will ever understand me, and that’s okay because you can’t understand. I just want this suffering to end. I’m alive, but inside everything is dead.”
Those words would be his last message. Later that same day, security cameras captured him buying fuel. Hours afterward, he was discovered dead inside his burning car.
The day of the attack remains etched in memory. Shalev attended the festival with his girlfriend, Mapal Adam, and his best friend, Hilly Solomon. When gunfire erupted, the three friends scrambled for safety, hiding beneath a vehicle. Shalev lay on top of Adam, both playing dead for what felt like an eternity.
Bullets found them anyway. Adam died almost immediately. Shalev survived physically but carried the weight of that moment for two more years.
The tragedy touches the family even deeper. Shalev’s mother, who had grown close to Adam, also died by suicide just days after the original attack. She too set her car on fire, unable to cope with the loss.
Adam’s sister, Maayan, posted a touching tribute on social media after learning of Shalev’s death. She shared a photo of the couple, writing: “Roe was murdered on 7 October and died yesterday. I have no words and it will take time to find them. Hope these two kids are hugging and smiling right now, hearts pressed together again.”
Friends and community members remember Shalev as someone special. The Nova Tribe Community Foundation, which helps survivors and their families, called him “a backbone of the community.” They want people to remember his good qualities—his bravery, his kindness, his leadership as captain of the Nova Tribe basketball team, and how he supported friends during their darkest hours.
Shalev’s death shows that the attack’s impact goes far beyond the initial casualties. Survivors carry invisible scars that sometimes prove just as deadly as the violence itself. Mental health experts say trauma from such events can linger for years, affecting people in ways others cannot see or understand.
The October 7 attack changed everything for Israel and Gaza, sparking an ongoing conflict. But for people like Shalev, the war never really ended. It continued every day in his mind, replaying moments no person should ever witness.
His story serves as a reminder that counting casualties on a single day tells only part of the story. The true toll keeps growing as survivors struggle to find reasons to keep going.
