Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German national who was believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas fighters during the militant group's attack on Israel on October 7, is dead, according to her family.
Her mother, Ricarda Louk, had previously shared her hopes that her daughter was still alive, despite recognizing her in a video that showed her motionless, half-naked body being paraded by Hamas fighters through the streets in the back of a pick-up.
While it was not known whether she was alive at the time, her mother said she had later received news that her daughter was still alive in Gaza, information that offered her a glimmer of hope.
But on Monday, she told the German Press Agency that the Israeli military informed her that her daughter is dead.
"Unfortunately, we got the news yesterday that my daughter is no longer alive," Ricarda Louk told RTL.
Shani Louk's death has not been officially confirmed by the German Foreign Ministry.
However, the 22-year-old's sister, Adi Louk, also announced the death in a post on Instagram.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the death of my sister, Shani Nicole Z.L. [may her memory be a blessing], who was on October 7, 2023, at the party massacre in Re'im," she wrote in an Instagram story, sharing a picture of Shani Louk.
The Times of Israel reported that members of Louk's family told Hebrew media that they were informed of Shani's death in a letter from the country's ZAKA rescue service. ZAKA told them that they found a bone normally found at the base of the skull without which a person cannot survive, and identified as belonging to Shani Louk, the outlet reported. Newsweek could not verify the authenticity of this information.
Three weeks have passed since Shani Louk, a tattoo artist, was believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas militants while she was attending the Tribe of Supernova music festival in the plains of the Negev Desert near Urim, close to the Gaza Strip, on October 7.
The event was stormed by Hamas gunmen. Social media videos circulating after the attack showed Hamas fighters seizing attendees and putting them in vehicles. Hamas is estimated to still be holding over 200 hostages captive.
In the days that followed, Ricarda Louk said she had received information that her daughter was receiving treatment in a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Update, 10/30/23, 6:30 a.m. ET: This breaking news story was updated to include additional information.
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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs ... Read more
