Israeli survivor of October 7 attack dies by suicide at friend's grave, family says

JERUSALEM — A 30-year-old Israeli man who survived the October 7, 2023, attack took his own life nearly three years later, Israeli outlet JFeed reported. Bar Asraf's body was found Saturday evening at the West Bank settlement of Elkana, at the grave of Liron Barda, a friend who was killed in the 2023 assault. Emergency teams called to the scene found Asraf with a gunshot wound to the chest and were unable to revive him, according to the report. French Jewish activist Jérémy Ben Hayim said Asraf had maintained ties with Barda's family and had visited the grave on the anniversary of her death. Barda, 26, died during the attack after refusing to leave the Nova music festival and continuing to administer first aid to the wounded, the report said. Her father, Avi, told JFeed that he had spoken with her that morning and urged her to leave the area, but she said she would not abandon the injured. The death comes roughly a year after Roei Shalif died by the same method in October 2025 after witnessing his friend's killing, according to the report. As of April 2024, approximately 50 Nova festival survivors had died by suicide within six months, the report said.