Mother confirms death of Shani Louk, woman missing following Hamas attack

Ricarda Louk, the mother of Shani Louk, an Israeli-German woman who was believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas fighters at a music festival in Israel, has revealed that her daughter is dead. The Israeli military informed her that a DNA sample taken from part of a skull bone matched Shani's. However, her body has not yet been found. Shani's sister also confirmed the tragic news on social media, stating that Shani, aged 22, was killed in the Hamas attack at Re'im on October 7th. The details regarding where and when the skull fragment was discovered remain unclear. Ms. Louk was attending the festival near Kibbutz Re'im when gunmen began firing, causing panic among the attendees who fled through the desert. The Israeli authorities reported that more than 260 people were killed in the attack, with some being taken hostage. Following the incident, a video circulated widely on social media, displaying the body of a young woman being paraded through the streets in a truck surrounded by armed fighters and others chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest). Ms. Louk's family identified her from her dreadlocks and distinctive tattoos. Initially, there were speculations and uncertainty about Shani's fate, with her mother expressing belief that she was still alive after receiving a video showing her unconscious in a car with Palestinians driving around the Gaza Strip. However, Ricarda Louk now assumes that her daughter has been dead since the Hamas attack on October 7th, potentially shot in the head. She expressed relief in having certainty while emphasizing that Shani did not suffer. The Israeli authorities claimed that over 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attacks, but some identifications have been delayed due to the poor condition of certain bodies. It is estimated that more than 220 people were taken hostage, with four individuals having been released so far. On the other side, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that over 8,000 people have been killed in the retaliatory bombing conducted by Israel.