New Ambulances Honor Nova Festival Victims Killed in ‘Death Ambulance’

Eighteen newly dedicated ambulances were unveiled Monday in Haifa in a powerful tribute to the 18 men and women murdered inside the so-called “death ambulance” during the horrific Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. Each ambulance bears the name, photo, and a personal dedication to one of the victims who lost their lives while seeking shelter in a parked emergency vehicle that became the site of a brutal massacre.

The emotionally charged ceremony took place at the Haifa headquarters of the Yossi Ambulance Group, which fully funded the project without public or governmental assistance. Bereaved families, members of the public, and former finance minister Moshe Kahlon were present to honor the victims’ memory and to mark the transformation of an emblem of tragedy into a fleet of vehicles dedicated to saving lives.

Kahlon, a key figure in supporting the initiative, addressed the crowd with words of resolve and unity. “We must not despair, and we have no privilege to despair. We must restore the glory of who we are,” he said. “These ambulances represent the unbroken spirit of a nation that refuses to be shattered.”

The project follows harrowing reconstructions of the Nova massacre, including Kan 11’s report on the so-called “death ambulance,” where 18 young people were gunned down by Hamas terrorists, and just two managed to escape. These victims once sheltering inside a symbol of rescue are now remembered through vehicles that will deliver real aid and hope to countless others across Israel.

Yossi Ambulance Group CEO Eilon Shperber emphasized the deeper meaning behind the initiative. “Every ambulance that leaves here is a living candle in memory of those whose lives were cut short,” he said. “We are turning pain into purpose, memory into motion.”

The ambulances are more than tributes they are fully equipped emergency vehicles that will operate throughout the country. Organizers described the project as a living memorial that will serve daily to rescue, heal, and protect. With each mission, the ambulances carry forward the stories and names of the fallen, ensuring they are remembered in action, not just in mourning.

Among those speaking was Michal Gabay, whose daughter Shani was one of the victims. “In an ambulance, our loved ones lost their lives,” she said. “And today, new ambulances carry their memory and save lives.”

Yossi Ambulance Group, one of Israel’s leading private emergency medical service providers, was among the responders deployed to the Nova festival before the attack. Many of their personnel served alongside public responders that day, with several making personal sacrifices to protect others.

This initiative is not just about remembrance it is a reflection of Israel’s enduring spirit, the sanctity of life, and the will to create light in the face of darkness. Every siren that wails, every life that is saved, becomes a silent prayer for those who were lost and a declaration that their memory lives on through every life preserved.

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