‘Can’t bear this pain any longer’: Israeli survivor who lost girlfriend in Oct 7 attack dies by suicide two years later

Israel mourns after Oct 7 attack survivor dies by suicide

As the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel takes effect and the first phase of hostage releases begins, many families continue to mourn the lives lost in the October 7, 2023, attacks. Among them was Roei Shalev, who survived the assault but lost his girlfriend and close friend, Hill Solomon, that day.

Shalev, who was shot during the attack but recovered physically, continued to struggle with the emotional trauma. Nearly two years later, he took his own life, leaving behind a final message on social media that read, “can’t bear this pain any longer.”

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, 30-year-old Roei Shalev was found dead on Friday night in his burned car north of Tel Aviv, near a highway exit close to Netanya.

CCTV footage reportedly showed him at a gas station earlier, filling a fuel canister before the incident. Shalev’s death highlights the deepening mental health crisis among survivors of the 2023 Hamas-led attacks.

Shalev shared a final message on Instagram, before taking his life: “I’m truly sorry. I can’t bear this pain any longer," he wrote. “I’m burning inside, and I can’t contain it anymore. Never in my life have I felt such pain and suffering – deep, burning, eating me from within. I just want this suffering to end. I’m alive – but inside, I’m already dead."

On October 7, 2023, terrorists breached the Gaza border communities, killing around 1,200 people. During the attack, Shalev was shot but survived, while his girlfriend and close friend, Hill Solomon, were killed.

According to Maayan, sister of Mapal Adam, Shalev was wounded while trying to save his girlfriend. “Roei lay next to the dead love of his life for about two hours until the army arrived and rescued him,” she recounted last year.

The tragedy deepened two weeks later when Shalev’s mother also took her own life, reportedly overwhelmed by grief over Adam’s death, as the two had shared a close bond.

On Saturday, Maayan Adam posted a photo of the couple with a moving caption: “Roei was murdered on 7 October and died yesterday… Hope these two kids are hugging and smiling right now, hearts pressed together again.”

The Nova Tribe Community Foundation, which supports survivors of the massacre, described Shalev as a “backbone of the community,” honouring his bravery and his efforts to help others heal.

His death sparked widespread reactions from opposition leaders, who broke the silence of the Jewish sabbath to call for stronger mental health support.

Yair Golan, head of the left-wing Democrats party, wrote: “Roei could not withstand the pain, but others are still here fighting, coping, trying to live. We must give them all the help we can – so they don’t feel alone.”