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 Nova 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.

On Tuesday, Louk’s family announced they had proof that Louk—who grew up in Israel—was alive. German 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.

  • P03 Locke
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    1142 years ago

    While I’m glad some good news came out of this, can we maybe focus on the 1,600 other people that are missing or died during the Hamas attack? News media has this obsession over reporting on young white females in peril.

    • CALIGVLA
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      312 years ago

      Reporting on brown, middle-eastern nationals? In a war in their own country? What is this woke bullshit?!

      • prole
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        12 years ago

        Israel is an occupying force in Palestine. It’s not “their own country,” just because they say it is and have the US military to back them up.

  • @laylawashere44@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    2 years ago

    So she is in a Gazan Hospital. The same Gazan hospitals that Israeli bombing has now overwhelmed and whose blockade is preventing humanitarian aid from entering. Hey maybe the UN was right in calling out that a total siege is illegal.

    • Khalic
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      252 years ago

      I wanted to say: not even israel would be stupid enough to let them die of thirst… but how much crazy shit happened these last 10 years? I don’t know, I hope not…

      • @gmtom@lemmy.world
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        92 years ago

        Nah Israel is exactly that crazy. They know they have the unconditional support of the west. They had the palestinians in an open air concentration camp for decades now and have committed countless war crimes against them and no one gave a shit. At this point they could unironically put arm bands on them and start shipping them off to gas chambers and the western sycophants would sing their praises still.

        • @n0m4n@lemmy.world
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          32 years ago

          And when I hear of children being killed and some beheaded, I understand the hate and fear of the monstrosity that pushes this. The human shields of innocent civilians and hostages, put in place to protect military installations, demonstrates disregard of all humanity, wrapped in rabid zealotry. The reason that extreme military tactics such as crimes against humanity were put in place was also to leave a path to peace after hostilities end. Otherwise, we sink to genocide as the only solution. Zealots ignore this, eventually forcing both sides to adopt a kill them all mentality. Humanity loses.

        • @qfjp@lemmy.one
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          22 years ago

          open air concentration camp

          Not necessarily totally relevant to your point, but I keep hearing this and… what exactly do people think concentration camps are? Giant tents? Repurposed community centers?

          I’m not sure I could point to one that wasn’t “open air”

      • prole
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        32 years ago

        Are you kidding?! We’re about to see human suffering on a level not seen since WW2. Netanyahu loves that this happened, because now he can indiscriminately murder and displace Palestinians without as much blowback.

      • @laylawashere44@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        242 years ago

        Nope. The raffa crossing into Egypt was open yesterday. In fact the IDF instructed people to leave via that crossing, then they bombed it today.

  • Redex
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    702 years ago

    Damn that really is surprising. I’m glad that she’s alive. Hope that she can return home safe.

    • Travalaaaaaaanche!
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      142 years ago

      Was it not her in the truck then? I thought the family had positively identified her by her tattoos.Though, you really can’t see much of them in the video that went viral.

      • @VentraSqwal@links.dartboard.social
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        272 years ago

        Either she was just unconscious or they are lying. But it seems pointless for the latter since they’d find out eventually, unless they plan on blaming her death on one of the bombs that are being dropped in Gaza. I guess we’ll see if the family gets her back.

        • @jcit878@lemmy.world
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          72 years ago

          But it seems pointless for the latter since they’d find out eventually,

          well its been shown pretty clearly these baby decapitators arent exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. They were on an adrenaline high after their little murder spree and felt they were on top of the world. The next day or so and reality set in and maybe they realised they not only signed their own death warrants, but that of thousands of their ‘people’ and set their cause back decades. Now they are scambling like the cowards they are to try and ‘fix’ what is unfixable

  • @rullstolsbunden@lemmy.world
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    662 years ago

    This is a big doubt. “Unnamed Palestinian sources” = Hamas propagandism.

    We have all seen the video where Hamas proudly showcases her mangled lifeless body.

    Wishful thinking from that poor mom who is being used to turn the narrative for Hamas when they realized Shani Louk was a german citizen.

    • @assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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      302 years ago

      I don’t know what would be worse. If they did that grotesque parade with her corpse, or with her alive but in critical condition.

      God. This is so unbelievably fucked up. I think I’d call it unrealistic, gratuitous violence if it happened in a fictional story.

      I really have no other words. I had a history teacher who said that there was nothing more dangerous than a zealot. He was all too right.

      • @Hackerman_uwu@lemmy.world
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        92 years ago

        You are the very first person that I have seen to even vaguely allude to the real villain in this centuries old series of tragedies: organised religion.

      • @hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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        82 years ago

        I don’t know what would be worse. If they did that grotesque parade with her corpse, or with her alive but in critical condition.

        I’m curious how an unconscious girl ended up in the hospital after being “paraded around in critical condition”. Any chance that was just the worlds most beat down ambulance?

      • Redex
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        02 years ago

        Fyi - the EU isn’t stopping aid for Palestine, it was a comment made by an official that cannot unilaterally decide on this and other EU states are against it.

    • Khalic
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      782 years ago

      If you care about victims of rape, don’t spread that bs about “life being over” and other disheartening quotes that make them feel like a used up rag. If she survives, it’s cause for celebration, period.

      • @BreakDecks@lemmy.ml
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        632 years ago

        Nobody said anything about her being raped, and never said anything about her life being over. She was present during a mass-killing, was brutalized in the process, and she is now being held captive by a terrorist group. Even if Hamas wasn’t raping their victims (which they absolutely are), living through this will, without a doubt, change the trajectory of a person’s life.

        • @KredeSeraf@lemmy.world
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          182 years ago

          It blows my mind that there are people who think mental recovery from things like this is a simple, easy process. Imagine all the horrors of war without any of the training and purpose of cause that allow you to cope just a bit and most still suffer from severe PTSD from that. She just got more trauma crammed into one week than many will see in their entire lives, with more to come and maybe more previously we don’t know about. Her life isn’t over, and it could eventually be fine. But it will be different.

      • @LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee
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        342 years ago

        I agree with the point you’re making.

        her life will never be the same after these horrible events

        I don’t think this is the equivalent of saying life is over. It’s saying that if Shani Louk is alive it’s good news while also acknowledging that there has still been significant grievous harm caused to this young woman.

        Her not being dead is not equivalent to no harm/no foul. Hamas still has responsibility for significant harm caused to Shani Louk.

        • Khalic
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          112 years ago

          It wasn’t trying to diminish the atrocity, sorry if it came out that way. This is humanity at its lowest. I’m just happy she might still survive.

          I just keep the aggressor out of my head when thinking about the victim, they don’t deserve the attention.

          I guess I’m a little triggered by this specific theme, thx for the feedback.

          • @LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee
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            122 years ago

            It wasn’t trying to diminish the atrocity, sorry if it came out that way.

            You did not, not to me at least.

            I just keep the aggressor out of my head when thinking about the victim, they don’t deserve the attention.

            That’s a great way to approach it. I was only speculating on the original commenter’s intent because that’s how I think about it too. I’ve had trauma in my past and it’s shaped who I am today; I reflect on it often. When I see stories of trauma for others I always have the thought about how their trauma is now going to shape their life going forward.

            I guess I’m a little triggered by this specific theme

            With good cause for sure! Harm and trauma don’t take away your agency or humanity, that happens by how others react to you after.

      • @Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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        262 years ago

        I’m more worried about the fact that she is very likely paralyzed to some degree and appears to have a hole in her head.

      • @Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world
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        262 years ago

        Did you actually read what you were responding to, or just have kneejerk reaction?

        You’re not wrong, but the person you are responding to didn’t say any of those things.

      • @GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        2 years ago

        Suggesting their life will never be the same is not equivalent to suggesting they are worthless. They didn’t say “life being over”

        Victims of rape will never be the same, as they will have a very traumatic event in their history. That event is of significance, not devaluation.

      • @Obsession@sh.itjust.works
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        212 years ago

        You’re the only one interpreting it like that.

        Some trauma stays with you for life. No one’s calling her a “used up rag,” the reality is that she may continue to suffer from what happened for the rest of her life.

      • @Squeak@lemmy.world
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        102 years ago

        What about ‘serious head injuries’? They can be pretty life changing and can end up in ‘life being over’ compared to normal…

        • Khalic
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          42 years ago

          There are many possibilities like this you’re right, she might be brain dead, etc. I was using a broad definition of “alive”, having autonomic functions and a fair amount of cognitive and physical fitness.

    • @khalic@lemmy.world
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      62 years ago

      Oh no, the valuable hostages go to the safe hospital that isn’t used as ammo depot or as missile launching site…

    • @madejackson@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Swiss here, Blick is known for low quality news. This “news” is only a claim from some unknown party. Very likely inaccurate or even plain wrong.

          • @hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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            42 years ago

            No I was genuinely asking because the person I was responding to put the quotes around the wrong part of the sentence.

            It should have been

            my guess is that she dies “in the hospital”

            Where they actually put quotes implies that they don’t think she’s gonna die at all

            • @gohixo9650@discuss.tchncs.de
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              02 years ago

              Where they actually put quotes implies that they don’t think she’s gonna die at all

              if she is already dead, then yes, she cannot die (again) at the hospital. I understand what you mean and tbh I’m not sure if there is one correct way to express it. For me at least it was very much understandable how it was originally written.

              The way I understand it, by quoting the “in the hospital” you imply that the place may be elsewhere but still be in the future, since you don’t put focus on the action itself (death) which (according to the author) is something that has already happened. By quoting the “dies” you acknowledge that she is in the hospital and you are not questioning the place. You just focus on the tense “dies”, since she is already dead.

              • @hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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                02 years ago

                tbh I’m not sure if there is one correct way to express it.

                Agreed. I still think the first example is confusing but no one want’s to hear us argue semantics. I appreciate the person I asked for coming back to clarify.

  • @TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
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    112 years ago

    Wait. So everyone saying she was raped and paraded around naked and dead were lying? I can’t believe Liberal media anymore.

    • circuscritic
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      2 years ago

      No one was just saying that, they were watching it. Watching her stripped down and contorted body being driven around as a trophy while Hamas and their followers spit on her in the back of that truck.

        • circuscritic
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          2 years ago

          Impressive. You know actually less than nothing about the situation, and yet still felt the need to chime in with your negative two cents.

          Yes, her family first identified her through the leg tattoos that were showing on her stripped and abused body that was being driven around, nearly naked, by Hamas, as well as her dreadlocks, and the fact that she was at that festival.

          I normally never recommend people search out and watch those horrific videos, but maybe you should take a few minutes and do that. If you don’t delete your comment out of shame afterwards, I’ll assume that you’re either a sociopath who got off watching it, or to cowardly to actually look at you were so quick to publically cast doubt on.

            • @Hackerman_uwu@lemmy.world
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              92 years ago

              Not negative just a fucking wanker.

              “Liberal media…” as if your pitiful culture war has any fucking relation to these tragedies. GTFO.

                • @KeenFlame@feddit.nu
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                  02 years ago

                  I mean western media is fucked, but you pick actual factual information to attack, instead of conveying this message, your intent flip completely into unhinged counterfactual conspiracy mode just fucking exactly everyone trying to get informed instead. But let me guess, you’re completely beyond reason

    • @Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Over 1600 people were attacked, some murdered and this was your takeaway. Too many times over the past several months do I read something incredibly stupid, look at the username, and it’s you. Either you have no shame or youre retarded.

    • @BreakDecks@lemmy.ml
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      192 years ago

      Because she’s one of the few foreign nationals identified as a victim. Because what we have seen of how she was brutalized is being used as an example of what Hamas is doing to their victims. Because she’s a human being whose rights are being violated to an extreme degree.

      All you know about her is related to the crimes against her, and you’re already willing to publicly insult her? What the fuck did she do wrong?

    • Saganastic
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      72 years ago

      Things that are out of the ordinary make it into the headlines. This is a German citizen captured by Hamas during the invasion of Israel. Very out of the ordinary. No need to bring race into it.

    • circuscritic
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      2 years ago

      You’re missing a lot more than something. My guess is that it’s a pretty long list which includes, but not limited to: compassion, integrity, and a lot less functioning brain cells then even the average idiot.

  • @zephyreks@lemmy.ml
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    2 years ago

    CNN was showing video coverage of the event where armed men (festival security? IDF?) were leading festivalgoers away at the start of the Hamas attack. There also appeared to be an armoured vehicle in the background.

    I can’t find the long form of the video that was shown, but the short form does show a vehicle with the Merkava’s characteristic chain and ball design on the turret in the background. It’s on CNN’s YouTube page and I’ll send it to people by request, but it’s rather graphic so I’d rather not link it.