Singer that survived Hamas attack will represent Israel at Eurovision 2025

Yuval Raphael, 24, won the final of the Hakochav Haba (Rising Star) talent show, receiving the most votes. As part of the program, the participants performed cover versions of famous songs.

Next month, a commission set up by the public broadcaster Kan will select the song that Yuval will present at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Yuval Raphael (photo: instagram.com/yuvalraphael)

In an interview before the finale, Yuval Raphael said that on October 7, 2023, she and her friends were attending the Nova music festival when they were attacked by Hamas militants.

Yuval Raphael (photo: instagram.com/yuvalraphael)

According to the newspaper, the singer managed to survive by hiding in a roadside bomb shelter under the bodies of the dead.

At the Eurovision Song Contest, the singer aims to tell the story of her country.

"I want to tell this story, but not from a position of seeking sympathy. I want her to be strong in the face of this, and in the face of the shouts that I am 100% sure will come from the crowd," Raphael said.

On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a massive attack on Israel, using both air and ground forces. As a result, more than a thousand people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage.

The leader of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed al-Deif, announced the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, noting that its goal was to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

During the attack, from 2 to 3 thousand missiles were fired, and seven Israeli communities to the south of the country were seized.