The death of German-Israeli Shani Louk has been confirmed, three weeks after Hamas captured her and paraded her through Gaza in her underwear

• The death of German-Israeli woman Shani Louk has been confirmed, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

• A video showed her half-naked body in the back of a truck surrounded by Hamas fighters.

• “We received the news yesterday that my daughter is no longer alive,” her mother told RTL.

German-Israeli woman Shani Louk, whose half-naked body was paraded through the streets of Gaza by Hamas militants has been confirmed dead.

“We are devastated to inform you that the death of 23-year-old German-Israeli Shani Luk has been confirmed,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X.

“Shani, who was kidnapped from a music festival and were tortured and paraded through Gaza by Hamas terrorists, experienced unfathomable horrors. Our hearts are broken. May her memory be a blessing.

Louk had been attending a festival near Kibbutz Re’im when Hamas militants stormed the area on October 7, killing more than 1,000 people 260 people.

In total, more than 1,400 people were killed and 200 kidnapped in Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel that day, which targeted the festival as well as cities and military bases.

Shortly after the attacks, a video circulated on social media of a young woman with dreadlocks in the back of a pickup truck, surrounded by armed Hamas fighters.

In it, the woman appeared to be stripped down to her underwear and her legs were bent at an unnatural angle while a soldier grabbed her hair. People were also seen spitting on her body.

Her face was not visible, but her dreadlocks and tattoos helped her family identify her as Louk. The Washington Post reported.

Days after the attack, Ricarda told Bild that her daughter called her during the festival and said she was looking for ways to escape with her boyfriend and others. She told her daughter to seek refuge at a local animal shelter, but then heard gunshots on the other end of the phone, she told the outlet.

Ricarda told Bild that Palestinian sources had told her that her daughter was still alive in a Hamas hospital but had suffered a “serious head injury.”

“We now have reason to believe that Shani is alive but has suffered a serious head injury and is in a critical condition. Every minute is crucial,” Louk told Bild at the time.

However, speaking to German broadcaster RTL/ntv on Monday, Louk’s mother Ricarda said she now believes her daughter has been dead since October 7th.

“Unfortunately, yesterday we received news that my daughter is no longer alive,” she said.

In the RTL interview, Ricarda said that a skull fragment indicated that she was probably killed by a bullet in the head on October 7th.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said The Times of Israel It was confirmed on Sunday that 239 people have now been kidnapped in the October 7 attacks. This figure does not include the four hostages released by Hamas.

Israeli forces have launched waves of devastating airstrikes on Gaza following the October 7 attacks, which Palestinian authorities said killed more than 8,000 people.

As the Israeli military intensifies its military operations in Gaza, the families of the Israeli hostages expressed concern for their safety on Saturday and called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure their release. CNN reported.

Read the original article Business Insider