Hundreds said to be missing after fleeing music festival near Gaza strip

Hundreds of people fled an all-night outdoor music festival early Saturday that was being held in the Negev Desert in southern Israel to try to escape incoming rockets and gunfire from Palestinian militants, according to Israeli news outlets.

It remained unclear the exact number of fatalities or injuries at the scene, though The Times of Israel reported that dozens of bodies were seen being removed from the site. Social media users were sharing lists of loved ones who had attended the festivals and were still missing Saturday evening.

The outdoor music festival was held near Urim, a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip. Israeli news media reported that some young Israelis were hiding for hours, some in their cars, at the site of the festival, and that dozens were still being evacuated by Israeli security forces to nearby towns and hospitals. Videos circulating on social media showed attendees running, yelling and escaping in cars.

On social media, lists began to circulate naming attendees who were still missing Saturday evening. One list viewed by The New York Times had over 500 names of people reported missing, along with their hometowns and the contact information of family members searching for them.

On a WhatsApp group dedicated to residents of southern Israel, several people shared messages claiming they were at the festival when the chaos broke out.

“People were shot in their cars as they tried to drive away,” read one message from a young man who said he was at the festival. “A lot of people just started running. It was crazy. Nobody knows where their friends are.”

According to one attendee interviewed by The Times of Israel, the festival was held to celebrate Sukkot, the Jewish harvest holiday. The festival, which thousands of young Israelis attended, began at 11 pm Friday and continued into Saturday morning.

Local Israeli television channels reported that phone lines were unstable in the region and that parents were advised not to try to reach the area.