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Shalev had survived the 2023 Hamas assault on the Supernova festival in the Negev desert by pretending to be dead for seven hours while covered in his and his girlfriend’s blood.

Netanya: Roei Shalev, a 29-year-old survivor of the Hamas attack on Israel’s Nova music festival, was found dead near Netanya, days after marking the second anniversary of the attack that claimed the life of his girlfriend, Mapal Adam. Israeli police have opened an investigation into the case, local media reported.

Survivor of October 7 Attack

Shalev had survived the 2023 Hamas assault on the Supernova festival in the Negev desert by pretending to be dead for seven hours while covered in his and his girlfriend’s blood. He was shot twice in the back while trying to shield 27-year-old Adam, who was killed along with their friend, Hilly Solomon.

In a later account, Shalev described how the three had fled their car and hidden under abandoned vehicles as gunmen opened fire and threw grenades. “Bullets whizzed past us, grenades exploded nearby, and terror engulfed us from all directions,” he wrote. Adam’s family said it gave them comfort knowing she “had died in his arms”.

Struggles After the Attack

A week after the massacre, Shalev’s mother, Raffaela, took her own life. He later wrote that he had lost “three of the most important women” in his life and struggled with trauma and sleeplessness in the months that followed.

In the years after the attack, Shalev renamed his family bakery “Mapal Cafe” in memory of his girlfriend and organised memorial events for victims. “Amidst the pain and sorrow, I hold onto one truth: we will dance again,” he said in a fundraising post last year.

Three days after posting a tribute on Instagram marking the anniversary of Adam’s death, Shalev shared a message saying he “can’t go on anymore” and that the pain was “eating me up inside”. Hours later, he was found dead inside a burning car near Poleg Beach.

"I just want this suffering to end. I'm alive, but inside everything is dead". He also asked for forgiveness," he wrote on social media.

Adam’s sister wrote on Instagram, “I have no words… I hope these two children are embraced and smiling now, hearts pressed together again.” Shalev’s family confirmed his death and asked for privacy.