Arab Israeli Paramedic Killed After Staying To Aid Festival Victims of Hamas Attack

Awad Darawshe, a 23-year-old Arab Israeli paramedic, was killed while treating injured attendees at the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel, targeted by a brutal attack from Hamas terrorists. Darawshe worked for Yossi Ambulances and was on duty at the festival when rockets and grenades tore through the crowd, leaving around 270 Israelis dead.

Darawshe refused to evacuate when the extent of the Hamas attack became apparent, believing that he could mediate due to his Arabic language skills. He was shot to death while administering first aid. The Hamas assailants not only killed him but also stole his ambulance.

“He brought us a lot of pain, but also a lot of pride—because he chose to stay with his mission until the last moment,” said his cousin, Mohammad Darawshe.

The Darawshe family, part of Israel’s Palestinian Arab minority that accounts for 20% of the population, held a funeral for Awad in their hometown of Iksal, near Nazareth. Mohammad Darawshe is also the director of strategy at the Givat Haviv’s Center for Shared Society, which aims to bridge the gap between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed Darawshe’s death and lauded him as a “hero.”