Two years after surviving the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack at the Nova music festival, 30-year-old Roei Shalev was found dead by suicide in a burning car near Netanya, Israel. Shalev had witnessed the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Mapal Adam, and his best friend, Hilly Solomon, during the massacre that killed 378 people, including 344 civilians.

“Please don’t be angry with me, please. 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,” he wrote.
Final Message Shared Online

Just hours before his death, Shalev posted a message on social media expressing his unbearable pain. “I just want this suffering to end. I’m alive, but inside everything is dead,” he wrote. CCTV footage later showed him buying a fuel canister at a gas station. His body was discovered inside a burned vehicle Friday evening.

On Saturday, Maayan Adam said she hoped Shalev and her sister were reunited. “Roei was murdered on October 7 and died yesterday. I have no words and it will take time to find them. I hope these two kids are hugging and smiling right now,” she wrote.

Reliving October 7

On the day of the massacre, Shalev, Mapal, and Hilly tried to hide under a truck. Shalev lay on top of Mapal to protect her. The couple played dead for hours, but Hamas militants eventually found them. Mapal was shot and killed; Shalev was injured but survived. He later recalled lying next to her lifeless body for hours before rescue.

“Roei lay next to the dead love of his life for about two hours, until the army arrived and rescued him. She was hit by a bullet that penetrated her ribs and went into her heart. I say her heart was so big that it was impossible to miss it,” Maayan told Ynet last year.

A Family Gripped by Grief

This marks a second tragedy for Shalev’s family. His mother, who was close to Mapal, died by suicide two weeks after the attack — also by setting her car on fire. Shalev is survived by his father and sister. His death follows years of silent suffering, intensified by the immense trauma he endured.

Community in Mourning

The Nova Community Association called Shalev a “pillar of strength” and a “backbone” of the community, remembered for his bravery, compassion, and leadership on the Nova Tribe basketball team. Mapal’s sister, Israeli TV presenter Maayan Adam, said: “Roei was murdered on October 7 and died yesterday. I hope these two kids are hugging and smiling now.”

“We ask everyone to remember him through his beautiful moments — his brave support for the community, his role as captain of the Nova tribe’s basketball team, and his dedication to helping his friends and fellow tribe members during their most difficult and challenging times.”

The organization urged continued awareness of the mental toll on survivors and bereaved families. “We have endured a lot of pain over these past two years, and we survived it together, and together we will overcome and endure this unimaginable moment of grief,” the organization said.
Call for Mental Health Support

In the wake of Shalev’s death, the Nova Tribe Foundation urged greater mental health awareness for survivors and bereaved families. “We have endured so much pain over these two years, and now this unimaginable grief,” they said in a statement. “Together, we must continue to support one another.”

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