On Friday, May 17, the Israeli military announced the discovery of the bodies of three Israeli hostages killed by Hamas during their unprecedented attack on October 7 last year. The hostages were identified as Shani Louk, 22, Amit Buskila, 28, and Itzhak Gelerenter, 56. During a press conference, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the hostages were killed by Hamas while trying to escape the Nova music festival.
At the same festival, hundreds of others were killed by the Palestinian militant group. The IDF reported that the bodies were found overnight but did not provide additional details or specify the exact location where they were discovered.
A report by the Times of Israel on Friday stated that, until recently, Buskila and Gelerenter were presumed to be alive, while Louk was confirmed dead in late October after a fragment of her skull was identified.
Born in 2001, Shani Louk was of Israeli and German descent and worked as a tattoo artist. She was attending the Nova music festival in southern Israel when it was attacked by Hamas militants.
According to the Israeli foreign ministry, Louk was kidnapped at the festival, tortured, and paraded around Gaza by the militants. The ministry stated that the 22-year-old endured unimaginable horrors.
A video of Hamas militants kidnapping Louk went viral on social media, showing her seemingly unconscious on the back of a Hamas truck. Israeli authorities later discovered her body in late October.
In a post on X, the foreign ministry expressed its devastation, announcing that Louk’s body had been found and identified.
Speaking to CNN on October 31 last year, Ricarda, Louk’s mother, described her daughter as a vibrant and lively individual who cherished laughter and embraced life. Ricarda mentioned that the 22-year-old was heading to her car when military personnel, stationed by the vehicles and firing shots to prevent people from leaving, took her away.
Expressing her optimism, Ricarda stated, “After seeing the video, it’s difficult to ascertain if she’s alive or deceased. It was a terrifying experience, and we were extremely concerned.”