Amanpour and Company | Survivor Describes Hamas Attack on Israeli Music Festival | Season 2023

JOINING ME NOW, SOMEONE THAT WAS AT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT MANAGED TO ESCAPE.

AMIT GANISH IS WITH US.

HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

>> YES, TODAY I'M GOOD, BUT I'M SAD FOR MY FRIENDS THAT -- NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE.

>> AMIT, WALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST UNDERSTAND THAT THE FESTIVAL WAS BEING STORMED AND THAT YOU WERE UNDER ATTACK?

>> OKAY.

AT 6:30 IN THE MORNING, WE HEARD THE ROCKETS AND WE SAW THEM IN THE SKY.

AND AFTER 30 MINUTES, APPROXIMATELY, WE HEARD THE TERRORISTS SHOUT ALLAHU AKBAR, ALLAHU AKBAR, AND THEY WERE RUNNING TO US WITH THEIR GUNS WITH A LOT OF FACIAL THINGS, LIKE -- AND ME AND MY BEST FRIEND WERE TOGETHER, AND WE START TO RUN TO THE OTHER SIDE AND FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A CAR THAT TOOK US, THE DRIVER SAID TO US, GET INTO THE CAR RIGHT NOW.

AND MY BEST FRIEND'S BOYFRIEND DIDN'T GET INTO THE CAR AND I DON'T KNOW EITHER WHAT ABOUT HIM, UNTIL NOW.

THE DRIVER TOOK TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND WE SAW A BIG UNIT OF TERRORISTS SHOOT TO US WITH GUNS, AND HE TURNED TO THE OTHER SIDE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS ANOTHER BIG UNIT OF TERRORISTS SHOOT TO US.

SO, THE DRIVER WAS THE BIGGEST FIGHTER THAT I EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, HE STOP THE CAR AND EVERYBODY IN THE CAR, THERE WERE NINE PEOPLE IN LITTLE CAR, WE STARTED TO RUN -- I RAN INTO THE FOREST, AND MY FRIEND WAS WITH ME, RAN AFTER ME.

>> WOW.

AMIT, WHEN YOU GOT TO THE -- WHEN YOU GOT TO THE FOREST, AND WE'RE LOOKING NOW AT THIS, YOU MEAN, THE CARCASSES OF THE CARS THAT HAVE BEEN BLOWN OUT AND DESTROYED, SO, YOU COULDN'T EVEN ESCAPE.

MANY PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLES.

WHEN YOU GOT TO THE FOREST, WERE YOU SAFE THERE?

OR DID THEY CHASE YOU INTO THE FOREST?

>> OKAY, WHEN WE GOT TO THE FOREST, FIRST, WE RAN FROM THE TERRORISTS, BECAUSE THEY WERE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WANT TO KILL ME, TO KILL MY FRIEND, TO KILL EVERYONE THEY SEE.

SO, WE HID IN A LITTLE TREE.

WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY SOUND FOR NINE HOURS.

WE STAYED IN THE TREE AND THAT'S HOW WE SAVED OUR LIVES.

>> WOW.

YOU HAD TO -- YOU HAD TO BE COMPLETELY QUIET AS A MOUSE TO SURVIVE.

AND MY VERY LAST QUESTION, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE -- WAS THERE ANY OFFICIAL HELP THAT CAME, THE MILITARY, POLICE, I DON'T KNOW?

>> OKAY, SO I -- I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

I CALLED TO EVERYONE I KNOW, TO MY MOTHER, TO MY FATHER, TO EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY, I DON'T -- I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF BATTERY, BUT WITH THE LITTLE BATTERY I HAVE, I CALLED THE POLICE A LOT OF TIMES, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF TERRORISTS, SO, THEY DIDN'T SUCCEED TO GET US ABOUT -- JUST ABOUT NINE HOURS, AND THE BIGGEST MAN, BIGGEST ANGEL, RAMI, FOUND US IN THE FOREST, AND HE RESCUED US.

>> WOW.

AMIT, THANK YOU.

THANK GOD YOU HAD A GUARDIAN ANGEL.

>> THANK YOU.

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