Amit Buskila, 27: Budding fashion stylist dreamed of being famous

Amit Esther Buskila, 27, from Ashdod, was murdered by Hamas terrorists near the Supernova music festival on October 7.

Her body was taken captive by Hamas to the Gaza Strip, where it remained until it was recovered by IDF troops in an operation in northern Gaza on May 17.

Amit was on the phone with her uncle, Shimon, during the early morning hours of the attack. She told him that she could hear terrorists approaching as she was hiding behind cars near the Mefalsim junction, where she had fled from the site of the rave.

Shimon then heard her begging and the last words he heard her say were, “No, no, no,” and then, in a weak voice, “I love you.”

Amit was laid to rest in Kiryat Gat on May 19. She is survived by her parents, Ilana and Meir, and her brother, Siel.

Amit, a budding fashion stylist, was remembered by her loved ones for her fun-loving sense of humor, love of cooking and her dream of one day being famous. Not long before she was killed, Amit filmed an audition for the reality TV show “Master Chef,” but her family asked for it to not be included in the show while her fate was unknown.

Her close friend, Eden Wessely, wrote on Instagram after news of her death to “my angel, you just went out to dance and never came home.”

For seven months she had hoped that “Amit returned and I would tell her everything that happened when she wasn’t here, and her with her humor would make everything light-hearted and laugh at all the photos of her that I hung in every corner of my house.”

Eden noted that the pair had been friends for more than 15 years. “What didn’t we go through together? Ups and downs, tears and laughter… I prayed that you would get married, have children, I always dreamed that we would grow old together, we had a true friendship, through good and bad.”

Amit’s mother, Ilana Buskila, cried at the funeral: “I prayed for a different ending to the torment I’ve been through,” she said.

“I was lucky to have you for 28 years,” she continued. “You wrapped me in love, you were my inspiration… you entered the hearts of the people of Israel.”

Amit’s brother, Siel, said at her funeral that his sister was “the light, the sun that shone everywhere, she was a free bird without borders, without restraints. Everywhere she wanted to go, she went. Every goal she set for herself, she achieved.”

Their family, he said, “was amazed time and time again by your courage, your bravery, your faith and your achievements. You are strong as a rock, steadfast and stubborn, only I know what a fighter you are, whenever you were disappointed by those around you I was there to observe from the sidelines, proud of your inner strength.”

Amit “dreamed of being a huge success, of conquering the world,” he said. “My little sister, my love. Your bed at home is made up and empty. The mirror at home has not reflected your face for some time. The pots at home will no longer feel the warmth of your hands. And the spices will remain in their places. Who will fill the home with food and joy?”

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