Israel: Victims of Northern Ireland terrorism and members of local Jewish community express horror at Hamas massacre of 260 people at Nova music festival

While the massacre began at dawn on Saturday, its scale has only gradually become apparent.

Video footage showed young people dancing oblivious to dots in the sky that were Hamas terrorists coming in from nearby Gaza on gliders, soon to land and open fire.

Some 50 terrorists shot dancers and also set fire to their cars. At least 260 bodies of festival goers have been recovered so far.

Shoshana Appleton, a leading member of the NI Jewish community, and Lynda Van Cuylenburg, whose father was murdered by IRA on Bloody Friday, are among those to have spoken of their horror at the news.

Mrs Appleton, who moved to NI from Israel almost 60 years ago, said: “I've just seen some pictures. I haven't been watching television because I couldn't possibly stand to. I was just listening to radio until tonight.

“But I saw a gunman just standing there shooting all the young people and burning their cars. It was just normal young people out celebrating the end of our holiday festival. It is a living nightmare.

"I keep waking up in the night and not believing it and putting the radio on to see if it really happened. We have many relatives on both sides of the family living out there, including our daughter who is close to the border with Lebanon.”Mrs Appleton added: “The terrorists who carried out the attack knew very well that it would exact a heavy toll on their own people."If they just accepted Israel's right to exist there would be no need for any of this, but they don't accept Israel's right to exist – no matter Israel does or doesn't do.”

News of the massacre left Ms Van Cuylenburg very anxious. Her father, bus driver Jackie Gibson, 45, died on ‘Bloody Friday’ in 1972 when the IRA set off 22 bombs across Belfast, killing nine people and injuring 130.

“Hundreds of families have been torn apart and hundreds of lives ended far too soon,” she said of the weekend massacre.

“It is as if we can't enjoy life any more. It is the few ruining the lives of the many just like the IRA did on Bloody Friday. My life and that of my siblings was never the same again.”

“I live in London where I used to feel extremely safe everywhere. But now terrorism is at the forefront of my mind always,” said Ms Van Cuylenburg.

“It was just the suddenness of it all,” she said of Saturday’s attack. “It was random as far as the world is concerned. I have felt on edge ever since ... the shock, knowing I couldn't do anything. It left me feeling scared. I am now thinking, 'Is it going to happen to someone else in my family?' I couldn't bear that. I feel so heartbroken for the families who are innocents in all of this.”

Kenny Donaldson, director of victims’ group South East Fermanagh Foundation, said he had been contacted by NI terror victims who had been retraumatised by the attack on Israel.

“The events in Israel are having a retraumatising effect upon not only victims/survivors there but also across the world as the scenes of devastation are lived out in all forms of media transmission,” he said.

“Victims and survivors across the SEFF family hurt when they see others hurting, be they innocent Israelis, innocent Palestinians or innocents from anywhere else throughout our world.

“There is no justification for terrorism, whether it is here or throughout the world. We are clear as an organisation that terrorism and criminal-based activity by any state cannot be justified, it is wrong and the most vulnerable always suffer most.

“Those so-called politicians and community leaders who slobber with ignorance about these issues should cease stoking the fires. Now is the time for people to draw back from the brink whilst they’re still able to.”