Shani Louk Is Still Alive, Mother Reveals

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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The mother of Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German national believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas fighters during the militant group's surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, said on Tuesday that her daughter is alive.

Louk, a tattoo artist, was attending the Tribe of Superova music festival in the plains of the Negev Desert near Urim, close to the Gaza Strip, on Saturday when Hamas fighters stormed the event. She's believed to have been seized by the militants and paraded through the streets in the back of a pick-up.

Her mother, Ricarda, feared she was dead after seeing a video showing Louk unconscious in a car after being kidnapped by Hamas fighters. In an appeal shared on social media, she said the family was sent a video "in which I could clearly see our daughter unconscious in the car with the Palestinians and them driving around the Gaza Strip."

Shani Louk alive, mother says
Shani Louk, 22, who was taken hostage by Hamas fighters in Israel, is alive in Gaza, according to her mother. Instagram

While the video doesn't show the woman's face, Louk's family said they were able to identify her by her dreadlocks and tattoos. In the clip, she asked for anyone to send help or news about her daughter.

On Tuesday, Louk's family announced they had proof that Louk—who grew up in Israel—was alive. Swiss German-language news website Blick reported that her mother said she was in a hospital in Gaza with serious head injuries.

"We now have more information that Shani is alive," her mother told television channel NTV, adding she received the information from unnamed Palestinian sources.

The mother added that Louk is seriously injured, and asked the German government for help and quick action.

"Every minute counts," she said.

At least 150 people are estimated to have been kidnapped by Hamas fighters during their surprise attack by land, sea, and air on Israel on Saturday. They are being held across Gaza as the conflict unfolds, and their location and conditions are uncertain.

Many were taken at the music festival attended by Louk and about 3,500 other young people that was stormed by Hamas gunmen on the same day of the attack. Social media videos shows the Hamas fighters seizing attendees and putting them in vehicles.

While it's not known exactly how many people were taken at the music festival, at least two more families are known to be looking for their children, including the parents of 25-year-old Noa Argamani and 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Golberg-Polin, who was there to celebrate his birthday.

As of Tuesday morning, more than 900 people in Israel and over 700 in Gaza have been killed in the violence, according to the Associated Press, with thousands more injured on both sides.

Update 10/10/23, 12:39 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more