The 23-year-old German-Israeli citizen Shani Louk, who was captured by Hamas militants during their October 7 attack and her body was paraded naked by militants, was confirmed dead by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Monday.
Shani Louk, a tattoo artist and hair stylist was among the hundreds of victims as Hamas militants targeted a music event near Kibbutz Urm during their surprise assault on Israel on the ill-fated day. Her family had identified her after the disturbing video spread on social media.
"We are devastated to share that the body of 23 year old German-Israeli Shani Luk was found and identified. Shani who was kidnapped from a music festival and tortured and paraded around Gaza by Hamas terrorists, experienced unfathomable horrors," said the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a post on X.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Shani’s friends and family during this unimaginable nightmare. May her memory be a blessing," further said the ministry.
Louk's family informed of her death
According to the Times of Israel, Louk's family has been informed of her death. "Unfortunately we received the news yesterday that my daughter is no longer alive," her mother Ricarda told German media.
The videos showed a half-naked woman lying seemingly unconscious face-down in the back of a pickup truck in Gaza filled with armed men. Members of the Hamas group chanted 'Allahu Akbar' as they paraded her almost naked body on the streets. One of them had her leg on her waist and another militant grabbed part of her dreadlocks.
At that time, her cousin Tom Weintraub Louk said that her family had been trying to get in touch with her since Hamas militants infiltrated from the Gaza Strip. "We knew she was at the party. She didn’t answer," he said.
Members of Louk’s family said that they received a letter from the Israeli Zaka rescue service saying that a bone from the base of her skull, without which a person cannot survive, had been recovered and identified.
Hamas launched a multi-pronged attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people, and kidnapping 230 others. Nearly 260 people were gunned down at the Supernova Music Festival by Hamas militants on that day.
ALSO READ | Russian airport shut after pro-Palestinian mob searches for Jewish passengers returning from Israel
