The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the murder of Shani Louk, who Hamas militants kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7. It’s believed she was beheaded.
“We are devastated to share that the body of 23-year-old German-Israeli Shani (Louk) was confirmed,” the agency tweeted on Monday (October 30). “Shani who was kidnapped from a music festival and tortured and paraded around Gaza by Hamas terrorists, experienced unfathomable horrors.”
We are devastated to share that the death of 23 year old German-Israeli Shani Luk was confirmed.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 30, 2023
Shani who was kidnapped from a music festival and tortured and paraded around Gaza by Hamas terrorists, experienced unfathomable horrors.
Our hearts are broken 💔.
May her memory… pic.twitter.com/svSArX3XSx
The Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz also commented, “The news of Shani Louk’s death is terrible. Like many others, she was brutally murdered. This shows the full barbarity behind the Hamas attack – who must be held accountable. This is terror, and Israel has the right to defend itself.”
The news of Shani Louk's death is terrible. Like many others, she was brutally murdered. This shows the full barbarity behind the Hamas attack – who must be held accountable. This is terror, and Israel has the right to defend itself.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) October 30, 2023
According to CNN, a source said forensic examiners allegedly found a bone fragment from her skull and were able to identify it as hers based on DNA.
The bone fragment they uncovered came from the petrous part of the temporal bone, located at the skull’s base, which is near the carotid artery, a crucial blood vessel that serves as a primary supplier of blood to the brain.
The deceased woman’s mother, Ricarda Louk, spoke to CNN and said she “was a beautiful, lively person.” She added, “She just enjoyed laughing, and experiencing life, and so it was just cut too short.”