Yuval Rafael never dreamed that she would one day be at Eurovision, the largest and most popular music competition in Europe.
The last major music event she attended was A new festival in Israel, where she was almost killed.
The singer tried to escape from the festival on October 7, 2023 when Palestinian extremists, led by Hamas, suddenly invaded southern Israel and began shooting at anything that moved.
Now he is preparing to take the stage in Basel, Switzerland, this year's host of the Eurovision Song Contest.
"I see this as a personal victory."
"It's enough to have this experience and to represent your country proudly," she told the BBC.
Watch the video: Stories of survivors of the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival
On that day, a year and a half ago, Rafael went to her first outdoor rave party.
Suddenly, rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and armed Palestinian extremists began They shoot at visitors to the Nova festival, near the fence that divides the Palestinian enclave and Israel.
Rafael and her friends took shelter in a concrete bomb shelter by the roadside.
About 50 people crowded into the room, lying on top of each other.
But there was no escape for many.
Armed attackers burst into the shelter and shot the bodies, then threw hand grenades.
Rafael managed to call her father, crying, as can be heard in a recording shown in an Israeli documentary.
"Dad, a lot of people are dead. Send the police here. Please, Dad, send the police, it's urgent... they're lying all over me," she said.
"Yuvali, my daughter, Yuvali Yuvali, breathe deeply. Hide. Pretend you are dead," her father told her.
"Hello, Dad," she said to him, thinking that was the end.
Rafael was one of only 11 people in the shelter who survived.
They hid under a pile of corpses for eight hours until they were rescued.
That day, Palestinian extremists killed about 1.200 people and took 251 hostage.
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Yuval Rafael's professional music career began after the deadly attack.
"I wanted to be happy and to truly understand the gift I was given, which is to live," she says.
"To gain experience, to be happy and to live life to the fullest."
The 24-year-old will sing the song in the second semi-final of Eurovision on May 15th. New Day Will Rise (A new day will come).
The gels are still in her leg.
The rules of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the contest, do not allow political statements.
During the competition, she was forbidden to talk about what happened to her at the Nova festival.
She previously shared her experience before the United Nations.
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Like last year, when Israel was represented by singer Eden Golan, these individual countries are also opposing Israel's participation in Eurovision due to the brutal war in the Gaza Strip.
Irish national broadcaster RTE has asked the EBU for a discussion on Israel's participation.
Kevin Buckhurst, director of RTE, said he was "appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and the horrific impact on civilians in the Gaza Strip and the fate of Israeli hostages".
Broadcasters from Spain and Slovenia also requested a discussion about Israel.
Last week, more than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed a letter calling on organizers to ban Israel from the contest.
More than 52.800 people have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 attack, 2.700 of them since the continued Israeli offensive, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.
In previous years, other countries have been banned from participating in Eurovision.
Belarus was suspended in 2021 after submitting an "overtly political song," and a year later Russia was banned from participating due to the war in Ukraine.
Rafael said she tries not to engage with those who say her country shouldn't compete.
"Everyone has their own opinion," she said.
"I really put everything aside and concentrate only on what's most important."
"The slogan for this year's Eurovision is 'United by Music' and that's why we're here."
Eurovision said it understood the concerns and views about the current situation in the Middle East, but insisted that members should ensure that Eurovision remains "a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music."
However, Israel's National Security Council has warned its citizens attending the competition in Switzerland not to wear Jewish or Israeli symbols.
On Sunday, during the Eurovision opening parade in the Swiss host city of Basel, an Israeli broadcasting delegation filed a complaint with police and the EBU after accusing a pro-Palestinian protester of making a throat-slitting gesture and spitting at them.
"It's scary sometimes, even uncomfortable, but it makes me constantly remind myself why I'm here and my goal, which is to spread love as much as I can and bring pride to my country," says the Israeli singer.
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Last year in Sweden, the Israeli delegation reported receiving death threats, and when Eden Golan and the dancers took the stage, some in the audience booed them.
"I expect something similar," Rafael admitted.
"But I'm here to sing and I'll sing from my heart for everyone."
She said they did several rehearsals with recorded boos and protests in the background so she could practice and be ready if she was interrupted.
Asked if it was upsetting, she told the BBC that she had a lot of emotions that she put aside to stay focused.
"I really think I carry a big burden on my shoulders, I have a very big responsibility."
"There are many people in Israel who are expecting something."
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Bonus video:
