Supernova - How Attack At Music Festival Site Unfolded

The Supernova music festival, billed as "a journey of unity and love" with "mind-blowing and breathtaking content", began about 10pm on Friday, just hours after the end of Israel's week-long Sukkot religious festival.

- Harriet Sherwood

What was the party in the desert?

Thousands of young people signed up for the party at a place "stunning for its beauty" but were not told the exact location until a few hours before. It was near Kibbutz Re'im, 3 miles from the Gaza border.

Valentina Gysak said she was a "bit worried" when her 21-year-old daughter Margarita said she was planning to attend the festival.

"I suspected there may be drugs and alcohol but my daughter told me: 'Don't worry, I'm just there to dance and have fun," Gysak said.

What happened at dawn?

As the sun rose on Saturday, the party was still in full swing when several small black dots appeared in the sky, caught on one partygoer's phone.

As the dots came closer, it soon became clear they were motorised paragliders approaching from the direction of Gaza in the west.

The beat of the music became confused with gunfire from Palestinian militants. A siren went off, warning of incoming rockets, followed by gunshots. Some people tried to raise the alarm as others remained oblivious.

One festivalgoer told Israel's Channel 12 that at first the rocket noise "sounded like it was part of the music".

Then he and his friends realised what was happening. "We felt the bullets flying around us."

Another reveller, Ortel, said: "Suddenly out of nowhere they [militants] come inside with gun-fire, opening fire in every direction. Fifty terrorists arrived in vans, dressed in military uniforms." In panic, people tried to flee, kicking up the desert sand to try to reach their cars.