‘Everybody just loved him’: Hero Montrealer killed by Hamas remembered for big heart

The Montrealer killed by Hamas militants in Israel, who in his final moments protected others, is being remembered by family and friends as a hero and loving person with a big heart.

Alexandre Look, 33, was among thousands attending an outdoor music festival Saturday morning in southern Israel, in the desert near Gaza.

As Hamas militants opened fire on the crowd and rockets streaked overhead, Look – who lived in Mexico and was on vacation in Israel – called his parents Alain Look and Raquel Ohnona. It was 11:30 p.m. Friday in Montreal.

“He was trying to keep everybody calm,” said his mother Raquel. “He’s like, ‘don’t worry, we’re going to be OK.’ He’s telling me, ‘what are you going to bring me in Cabo next time you come for Passover?’”

Thirty people took shelter in a bunker with Look. Survivors later told his parents he was protecting them.

“He acted as a barrier for them,” said Raquel. “And he fought a Hamas fighter. His bare hands, try to get his knife out.

“Then I hear multitude of rounds of shots. It’s a sound I probably will never forget. Then obviously, I screamed to my husband, ‘they’re murdering our son.’

“I think I collapsed.”

The next day, Look’s parents received a call from a friend.

“That’s when he says, ‘you know what Alain, I’m sorry to announce that your son is dead,’” recounted Alain. “But I had a feeling when I heard, when I took the phone the night before and I heard the Arabic sounds and everything, I knew at the time it was done.

“I wish he wouldn’t be a hero and, for once I wish he would be afraid of something. But Alex was not afraid of nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.”

In a statement Sunday evening, Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the death of one Canadian in the fighting and the disappearance of three others. However, the federal agency did not reveal the identity of the Canadian who lost their life.

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The attack on the open-air Tribe of Nova music festival – where out 3,500 young Israelis and tourists celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot – is believed to be the worst civilian massacre in Israeli history. As of Sunday, there were at least 260 dead and a still undetermined number taken hostage.

“This was a kid from Canada on vacation, it wasn’t a soldier. And all those kids at that outdoor concert, in the prime of their youth, beautiful children, celebrating,” said Raquel.

The party was held in a field outside of Kibbutz Re’im, about 5.3 kilometres from the wall that separates Gaza from southern Israel.

Adam Aharoni was invited by Look to attend the music festival, but he skipped it because it was Sukkot. He wonders how things could have been different.

“It was a very big party. And people were waiting for it for a long time,” said Aharoni.

“We never know what could have happened if I was there, maybe he would have survived or maybe I wouldn’t have.”

Aharoni remembers Look as a smiley, unique person.

“Huge charisma, huge courage and big heart,” he said. “He was always hosting people, generous to everybody he loved, to his family, to his friends, wherever he went. Doesn’t matter if it was in Mexico, where we met him, or in Canada or in the States or every place he was actually in.

“Everybody just loved him.”

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Look’s death has left a huge hole for his parents, who are missing their boy tremendously.

“Going on vacations with him,” said his mother. “He would always have us come for all kinds in Cabo. He had made a beautiful life for himself.

“He was joie de vivre and we’re going to work on many things that will keep his memory alive. But people needed to know his name.”

—With files from The Associated Press