The Oct. 7 attack caught Israel off guard, with thousands in southern communities and at the Nova music festival suddenly running for their lives. Despite the shock, danger, and overwhelming sense of helplessness, many chose to document the chaos as they fled – sometimes capturing the final images of those who didn't survive.
Video: Michal's footage of the Oct. 7 attack at the Nova Festival site. Credit: courtesy
"My close friends Osher and Michael Waknin, who are no longer with us, were part of the Nova festival production team this year and invited me to join," Michal Ohana, 27 from Jerusalem, recounted. Ohana had spent the previous year working as a veterinary nurse in Portugal. "I returned to Israel just days before Oct. 7 to visit family, celebrate the holidays, and because my older sister was about to give birth."
Nothing could have prepared Ohana for the terror she was about to experience. During the festival, she found herself documenting horrific scenes of people fleeing from attackers, injuries, gunfire, and life-threatening danger. "At 6:29 a.m., the rocket barrage began, and I sensed something was terribly wrong. I had this gut feeling. So I started filming everything," she recalled.
"I believe every moment from 6:29 a.m. until my evacuation in the late afternoon was crucial to document. I captured my own escape and videos that now serve as final memories for families of those murdered. I recorded the gunfire, the fear, and the sheer madness we all experienced. These videos convey the most horrific feelings imaginable, and it's all real. Thanks to my footage, people found vital information about missing persons, murder victims, and hostages. Most importantly, I documented the most brutal massacre in our history, ensuring it can never be denied."
Despite being wounded during an encounter with attackers, Ohana continued filming. "My phone became my eyes. I gripped it tightly, fearing I'd drop it while running. When I came face-to-face with the terrorists, they fired an RPG at me. As I fled, I was shot in the leg. Even while bleeding, I kept filming because I knew that if I died, someone would find my phone and see what happened to us," she recalled. "The videos and photos I took are irrefutable proof of what Hamas did that day. They murdered, raped, looted, and mutilated bodies – some were my friends. These videos are shocking and difficult to watch, but they show the truth."
Video: Michal's footage of the Oct. 7 attack at the Nova Festival site. Credit: courtesy
In hindsight, Ohana believes her decision to document everything was the right choice. "I realize now that while I was in the situation, I was also viewing it from the outside through my camera – and that protected me from the horrific sights I witnessed. When I encountered the terrorists face-to-face, I knew I was likely to die. It was a terrifying realization, but I decided to keep filming as long as I was alive. I hoped that if someone found my phone, it might change something in the future. Now I know my footage is being shared worldwide, helping people understand what happened to us."
"I knew I might be the last witness"
Liron Avigzer, 27, from Netanya, manages bars and helps set up event booths. On Oct. 7, she was at the Nova festival site, where she had set up a jewelry booth with her friend Shay. When gunshots suddenly rang out, Avigzer realized the gravity of the situation and decided to document what was happening from her hiding spot in a bush.
"I wanted to ensure the world would know what happened here, that there would be evidence of our experience," she explained. "The most critical moment to document was when I realized there was no escape and that I might not survive. I sat alone in that bush for hours, watching in horror as the events unfolded around me. I knew I might be the last witness to what happened there, and I wanted to make sure our story would be told, so even when my phone battery dropped to 2%, I kept filming."
Avigzer says her biggest challenge was the paralyzing fear that kept her from moving or exposing herself. She coped by focusing her mind on a single goal. "These images and videos show the brutal reality of what happened, illustrate the scale of the disaster, and convey the terror we experienced," she said. "Even now, I feel at peace with my decision to document the attack, despite how difficult and painful it was. Recording was an important part of the story and helped me process what I went through. It's a miracle my phone kept working even after eight hours of filming and texting my mom from inside that bush. Finally, my friend who had been at the booth with me called to say a tank had arrived – and that's when I emerged from hiding."
Smartphones as weapons
"The need to document is fundamental to human nature. We want to preserve our experiences and tell our stories," Nirit Tzuk, an expert in child and youth culture research, explained. "Throughout history, people have documented their lives through writing or pictures – even in times of great distress. With the rise of screens and social media, the ability to document became more accessible, allowing everyone to share their story online through smartphones and selfies."
Generation Z has taken this impulse even further through social networks. "Stories have become a tool for sharing everything that happens at the moment, whether it's a meal at a restaurant or a fun outing – but also the difficult things we experience, including moments of fear, crying, or shock," Tzuk said. "It's another way for this generation to make their voices heard and, at the same time, call for help. Sometimes, the act of documenting can create a sense of psychological distance, allowing the person to step back and observe the situation."
Video: Liron's footage of the Oct. 7 attack at the Nova Festival site. Credit: courtesy
"By sharing their footage, survivors can show the world the shocking experiences they've endured and ask for it to be spread widely," Tzuk continued. "Smartphones have also become a kind of 'weapon', providing a sense of security through apps that can quickly connect to emergency services or loved ones. When Hamas tried to deny what happened, countless Israelis took to social media to share evidence of the atrocities themselves."
"Technology allows us to keep the story alive"
Dr. Ayelet Cohen Wieder, a clinical psychologist on the guidance team of Safe Heart, an organization providing mental health support to Oct. 7 survivors, explains that the need to bear witness is deeply human – and technology now enables it in new ways. "Documenting their final moments turns victims into witnesses, ensuring their stories become testimony," she said. "Technology answers our need to keep our stories alive and existing, even when we are gone."
Is wartime phone documentation unique to Generation Z?
"This is certainly the medium through which they're accustomed to experiencing the world," Dr. Cohen Wieder noted. "But from what I've heard from survivors, people of all ages left messages and described what was happening – perhaps as a desperate cry for help, or out of a desire for the world to witness the horror. Documentation can also serve as a form of resistance against an enemy trying to silence and erase our existence. It can be seen as an attempt to connect with the 'sane' world and mentally extract ourselves from an unthinkable situation by communicating with the outside."
