Israel's 'Death Road' Shelters Transformed into Haunting Memorials

Three years after the Hamas attacks of October 7th, a stretch of highway in southern Israel, known locally as "Death Road," has become an open-air memorial. Route 232, the primary escape route from the Nova music festival, witnessed hundreds of fleeing festivalgoers and civilians being killed by Hamas militants.

Along this road, concrete bomb shelters, designed to protect against rocket attacks, have been transformed into stark memorials. These shelters, once perceived as safe havens, became death traps as gunmen attacked those seeking refuge inside, hurled grenades through entrances, and pursued those who fled into surrounding fields.

A Road of Remembrance

The shelters along Route 232 are now adorned with photographs of the victims, flowers, and handwritten tributes. These roadside memorials extend for miles, marking the sites where people were murdered while attempting to escape. Beyond the highway, makeshift shrines in the fields commemorate those who were gunned down trying to find cover.

The nearby Nova festival grounds also serve as a memorial, with photographs displayed where thousands once danced. Faded posters urging the return of hostages are still visible. Together, these sites trace the widespread impact of the massacre, documenting the locations of killings across miles of roads and farmland.

According to the October 7 Parliamentary Commission Report, nearly 300 people, including festivalgoers, motorists, cyclists, farmworkers, and police officers, were killed along a 33-mile stretch of Route 232 and connecting roads.

Gilad Karplus, a 34-year-old Israeli-American who survived being shot in the head while fleeing, described the chaotic escape. "People scattered to all different places for survival," he told The Post. "Most of our survival story is off-road."

Karplus, who was working as a masseuse at the festival, recounted hearing the distinctive sound of AK-47 gunfire as rockets rained down. He urged his friends to drive off-road to avoid the main highway, anticipating more attacks there. However, danger was present everywhere, including off-road.

During their escape, Karplus and his companions encountered ambushes and found a damaged military vehicle. He retrieved an M16 rifle but found it too hot to fire. The experience was marked by shooting, screams, and smoke, a moment Karplus described as "time died."

At one point, gunmen in pickup trucks approached, and Karplus and others attempted to draw their fire away from their friends. This led to their pursuit towards the Gaza fence, and one friend was abducted into Gaza and later killed.

Further attempts to evade attackers near Kibbutz Be’eri resulted in their vehicle being shot at, and Karplus sustained a bullet wound to the back of his head. He remained conscious, managing the bleeding with his hat, and recalling the intense adrenaline that numbed the pain.

They eventually found refuge in a bathroom for six and a half hours, hearing attackers nearby but remaining undiscovered. Karplus thought of his grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, during their ordeal. When Israeli soldiers arrived, they found a scene of "unimaginable death and carnage, cars burned and blood on the road."

Shelters as Death Traps

The roadside shelters, intended for protection from rockets, proved inadequate against close-range attacks. At one shelter near Re’im Junction, 22-year-old Aner Shapira attempted to defend those inside by throwing grenades back at Hamas attackers, but he was killed. Among those abducted from a shelter was 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was later confirmed murdered in captivity in Gaza in 2024.

At the Be’eri Junction shelter, victims' photographs, personal belongings, and flowers now cover the walls. These memorials are not in designated locations but stand precisely where the killings occurred.

At the Nova festival site, photographs of young people enjoying themselves are displayed across the grounds, including the former dance floor area.

One particularly disturbing exhibit is a yellow rubbish container where terrified festivalgoers hid among rubbish bags. According to accounts, a gunman opened fire inside at 11:47 a.m., killing nine people and leaving seven survivors. The container was recovered in August 2024 and contains messages of pleas for help, love, and farewells.

Preserving the Scars

The future of these shelters has become a subject of debate. In June, reports indicated the Eshkol Regional Council considered moving some shelters to a formal memorial site due to safety concerns related to visitors gathering near busy roads. However, bereaved families strongly opposed this, advocating for their preservation in situ.

On the third anniversary of the massacre, Israel's heritage minister declared the shelters national heritage sites, restricting their removal or alteration without professional approval.

For survivors like Karplus, revisiting the sites remains difficult. Despite living nearby, he has not retraced his entire escape route. He continues to provide massage therapy to fellow survivors, aiding in their healing process while still contending with shrapnel from his injury and rehabilitation challenges.

"Death Road" serves as a somber reminder for survivors and a place for visitors to comprehend the scale of the October 7th massacre, bearing witness to the lives lost in their desperate attempts to escape.