Desperate Mother’s Plea: German Tourist Kidnapped by Hamas in Israeli Festival Chaos
A worried mother from Germany is desperately seeking information about her daughter, Shani Louk. She believes that Shani was taken by Palestinian militants during a music festival in Israel, close to the Gaza border. The situation turned chaotic when Hamas militants suddenly appeared, firing shots and causing people at the festival to scatter in fear.
Ricarda, Shani’s mother, shared a heartbreaking plea on social media. Holding up a picture of her daughter on her phone, she explained that Shani, along with other tourists, had been kidnapped by Palestinian Hamas. She had received a distressing video showing her daughter unconscious in a car with the Palestinians, driving around the Gaza Strip. Ricarda begged for help and any news about her daughter, expressing her gratitude for any assistance.
As news of the Hamas assault on Israeli territory unfolded, Shani’s family was plunged into an agonizing search for her whereabouts. Their most harrowing nightmares came to life when they stumbled upon a video circulating on social media, revealing armed fighters lifting the limp body of a young woman onto the back of a truck.
This distressing scene played out against a backdrop of other armed individuals, all while echoing cries of “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest). Even though the woman was lying face down, her family recognized Shani by her distinctive dreadlocks and tattoos. Shani’s cousin, Tom Weintraub Louk, expressed a glimmer of hope but held Hamas responsible for her and the others.
The Israeli government reports that at least 100 Israeli soldiers and civilians were kidnapped during the Hamas assault. There are also reports of other missing festivalgoers, including British citizen Jake Marlowe. Jake’s mother shared her concerns, revealing that he worked as security staff at the festival in Kibbutz Re’im, not far from Gaza.
Videos on social media show distressing scenes, including an Israeli woman named Noa Argamani, who attended the festival, being taken and held on a motorcycle by two men. Gili Yoskovich, another attendee, described hiding under a tree in a field while gunmen roamed around, targeting anyone they could find.
The situation remains charged as in a surprise attack; Hamas launched rockets on Israel, which resulted in a series of rocket attacks penetrating the Israeli territory by the militants. In the wake of this conflict, enormous casualties have occurred on both sides, with hundreds killed or injured reported by the health ministry in Gaza, which comes under Hamas control due to an Israeli air strike.
