Oct 7 survivor Yuval Raphael to sing for Israel at Eurovision after hiding under bodies for 8hrs during Hamas massacre
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AN OCT 7th survivor who hid from Hamas under dead bodies at the Nova musical festival will now represent Israel at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Yuval Raphael, 24, hid under dead bodies for eight hours to avoid capture or death during the massacre which killed hundreds of Israelis.
![[Singer Yuval Raphael performing on stage.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2023-attack-hamas-nova-festival-965972336_d5a0fe.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Yuval is an amateur singer who was attending the Nova music festival with her friends on the tragic day, and still has shrapnel in her head and leg. To save her own life, she hid in a bomb shelter for hours on end underneath a pile of massacred Israelis.
![[Mourners embrace at a memorial site with photos of victims.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/photo-anonymous-afp-restricted-editorial-851223348.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
She has been recounting the harrowing story of her fight for survival while competing on Israeli talent show HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star), which she went onto win. Winning the competing means she gets to represent Israel at this year's Eurovision, which will take place in Switzerland this May.
![[a blurred image of a room with a white tent]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/left-dead-horror-pic-shows-851210787.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
After her victory on The Next Star, Yuval said: "I can't explain how excited and ready I am!. "Thank you for giving me this huge honour and trusting me to represent my country on the grand Eurovision stage in Switzerland.". She only began singing professionally last year, and has said that music has been "one of the strongest ingredients" in her healing process.
![[Memorial site with photos of victims of the 2023 Supernova music festival attack.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2800-israeli-soldiers-civilians-taken-851919333.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Since the deadly attack, which killed 364 young partygoers and saw 40 more taken as hostages, Yuval has been doing her part to pay tribute to the disaster. Yuval has taken part in advocacy for Israel over the last year. This has seen her speaking to the UN Human Rights Council about her experience of surviving the attack.
![[Dashcam footage of an armed Palestinian militant at the Supernova music festival.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/photo-anonymous-afp-restricted-editorial-851223490.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
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