Woman who survived October 7 Hamas attack dies by suicide on 22nd birthday

A young woman, Shirel Golan, who survived the deadly Hamas attack on the Supernova music festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, died by suicide on her 22nd birthday.

Her family claimed that Shirel was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the horrific event which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of around 250 people.

According to reports, Shirel was discovered dead in her apartment in Porat in central Israel, after being hospitalised twice since the massacre. Her brother, Eyal, revealed that he noticed signs of her PTSD, such as distancing herself from friends, and encouraged her to prioritise her mental health.

"I saw that she had symptoms of post-traumatic stress, such as withdrawing and distancing herself from her friends. I asked her to take care of herself. She said that she doesn’t get any help from the state," Eyal told the Times of Israel.

The family also said that they felt abandoned by the Israeli government in their time of need. Eyal asserted that if adequate support had been provided, his sister's death could have been prevented. "The state killed Golan. If the state doesn't wake up, there will be more cases like this," the Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying.

Shirel, the youngest of five siblings, was supposed to visit the Western Wall and the Cave of the Patriarchs to celebrate her 22nd birthday, her family said.

Eyal also reminisced about Shirel's harrowing escape from the attack, recounting how she managed to flee in a police vehicle after getting out of a car that was later attacked, resulting in the deaths of eleven of her friends who accompanied her to the fest.

"Everyone who was in the car was murdered. Eleven people were murdered there. It was a death vehicle. She switched to a police car that took her to Kfar Maimon (a town in southern Israel). And that’s how she was saved," the New York Post quoted Eyal as saying.

Eyal also said that his mother had even retired early to take care of Shirel and assist with her PTSD management.

"My mother had to retire early to be near her daughter. We didn't move a millimeter from her (Shirel), and the only time we left her alone was today – and she decided to end her life," he said.

However, the Welfare and Social Services Ministry refuted the claims made by the family, saying had been "recognised and treated within the welfare system even before the October 7 attack and especially after".