A man whose brother was kidnapped by Hamas in a terror attack at a music festival in Israel last month is desperately searching for ways to bring him home.

Gal Gilboa-Dalal went to Israel to attend the Peace and Love music festival with his younger brother, Guy. But once there, in a matter of seconds, everything changed.

“I’m hearing the screaming of people, and I’m seeing people that died, dead bodies all around us, and all I can think about is what happened with my brother. Why isn’t he answering me?” Gilboa-Dalal told NBCLA.

The Nova Music Festival in southern Israel was supposed to be a bonding experience for the brothers.

“My brother was so excited about this festival because it was his first type of festival,” Gilboa-Dalal said.

As assaults continue in Israel, protesters in Los Angeles called for safety for Palestinians. Christian Cazares reports for the NBC4 News on Oct. 21, 2023.

The 29-year-old brother said he even left a friend’s engagement party early to meet his 22-year-old sibling just before sunrise on Oct. 7.

“As soon as I arrived, he jumped at me, he kissed me, he took his phone, and he took a selfie to send to my mother,” Gilboa-Dalal said.

That selfie was their last happy moment together before the attack. Guy headed to the dance floor, and Gal promised to catch up.

“Once the sirens started, the music stopped. The security guys told everyone to either take cover or leave immediately.”

That’s when he said bullets started flying.

“It turned into a battlefield. You could hear the bullets hitting cars and whistle just like above you,” Gilboa-Dalal said.

Gilboa-Dalal said he got stuck in a traffic jam, ditched his car and found a place to hide. He also called his brother.

“I told him to stay as close as you can to our forces and stay undercover.”

Gilboa-Dalal spent nearly eight hours hiding from the shooters and began to panic when his brother stopped answering his phone. 

Then, a call from Dad.

“He said that my brother has been kidnapped through Gaza, and he is a hostage, and there is a hostage video of him that confirms that he is already in Gaza,” Gilboa-Dalal said. “I was screaming and crying. I was hitting the ground. And I ripped my hair, I didn’t know how to react.”

Gal has since moved back home with his parents and younger sister, all immobilized by grief.

“My biggest fear is that the hostages won’t be discussed anymore. That the world will forget about them,” Gilboa-Dalal said. “I just miss him so much. I just want him back home.”

The newly formed nonprofit Hostages and Missing Families Forum, with ties to Los Angeles, is urging Gal to speak out. The campaign, led by two California women, hopes the faces of the hostages will prompt action in the U.S.