Clarissa Ward: At Least 260 Israeli Bodies Found at Music Festival Site

>>WARD (voice-over): Organizers of the Supernova Music Festival say that thousands of young revelers had gathered to celebrate the end of the holidays. Just after 6:00 A.M., Hamas militants launched a bloody attack.”

WARD: “So we’re just now on the approach to the kibbutz where that dance party was taking place. You can see there’s vehicles all around here that have been shot up. We see the bodies of at least one, two Hamas fighters. I think there are more down this way.”

WARD (voice-over): “Many of the victims spent hours in hiding, waiting to be rescued and calling their loved ones.”

WARD: “Many of them are still missing. Many of them are dead. It’s been very difficult to try to get a precise number.”

WARD (voice-over): “Now, a volunteer group that handles human remains says that at least 260 bodies have been found at the festival site. The government here took a bold step releasing an image of scores of body bags in a tent where investigators were tasked with identifying them.”

WARD: “So you can see over here, the body of at least one other person. I don’t think you want to get too close to it. It’s pretty graphic.”

WARD (voice-over): “Active fighting continued along this stretch of the border throughout the day as Israeli military forces poured in.”

WARD: “So, we’re seeing a bunch of tanks being brought down this way, and I’m also hearing a steady stream of booms, apparently rockets landing in the distance in that direction, and certainly a feeling that people are on high alert. We tried to push further down that way, we were told in no uncertain terms we needed to turn around.”