The Rescuers of October 7: Oz Davidian Recalls Saving 120 Lives from the Nova Festival
Oz Davidian saved 120 lives by driving into the Nova music festival massacre zone 15 times on October 7, 2023. Three years later, he opens up about his ongoing battle with PTSD and his enduring bond with the survivors.
Oz Davidian woke up on October 7, 2023, at his home in moshav Maslul to the sound of unusual rocket fire. Shortly after, his sister Dikla informed him via a family WhatsApp group that several terrified young people had reached her husband's farm near the Nova music festival site, pleading for help. Without hesitation, Davidian grabbed a crate of water, jumped into his four-wheel-drive pickup truck, and drove straight into the danger zone, bypassing blocked roads by taking off-road routes.
Upon arriving near his brother-in-law's farm, Davidian encountered young festival-goers fleeing for their lives. Realizing the scale of the disaster, he made 15 trips in and out of the active combat zone under heavy gunfire, rescuing 120 people. To document the atrocities and alert others, he took selfies with the survivors and shared his location, ensuring their families knew they were safe. Among those he met in the field was Yair Golan, whose encounter was captured in a widely shared photograph.
In the months following the massacre, Davidian was mobilized under Order 8, assisting security forces in locating bodies and securing the festival area before serving in reserve duty with the Gaza Division. The psychological toll eventually caught up with him while distributing food to soldiers near Kfar Aza, where he experienced severe panic symptoms. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he began ongoing psychological and psychiatric treatments.
Today, Davidian maintains a close bond with the survivors he rescued, whom he refers to as "my children." While some have tried to rebuild their lives, he notes that many survivors and bereaved families continue to struggle deeply. Reflecting on conspiracy theories surrounding his iconic photographs, Davidian dismisses them as baseless politics, emphasizing that heroism on October 7 transcended political divides. As he prepares to address diplomats at the United Nations, Davidian hopes for a more unified nation, declaring that he will continue doing whatever he can for his people.
