The Israeli military helicopter not only took out the militants, but also inadvertently hit some of the festival attendees – Haaretz.
According to Haaretz, an Israeli police source reported that an Israeli military helicopter arrived on the scene and opened fire on Hamas militants.
Senior security officials estimate that Hamas learnt of the event via drones or parachutes, prompting their fighters to move quickly to the scene using their communications network.
The report mentions that the video clip recorded a captive being interrogated about directions to Rimal. In addition, police sources indicate that Hamas-affiliated terrorists reached the location from the direction of 232 Street, deviating from the expected route along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, police sources report that the event was originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday, with an additional day added on Saturday. This last-minute change further reinforces the view that Hamas was initially unaware of the event.
Approximately 4,400 people attended this event, according to our estimates. The vast majority managed to escape after the dispersal decision was made, just four minutes after the missile attack.
Police analysis suggests that many festival-goers successfully evacuated as the decision to stop the event was made half an hour before the first shot had rang out.
