On 7 October 2023, during the early stages of the 2023 Israel–Hamas conflict, a group of Hamas terrorists entered Israel from the Gaza Strip and attacked the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival.[9][10][11] This festival celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and featured psychedelic trance music. It was held in the western Negev desert,[11] near the Re'im kibbutz, about 5 kilometers from the Gaza–Israel barrier.[9][12]
Shani Nicole Louk, a festival attendee, was there with her Mexican boyfriend.[13] When the attack began and the Red Color rocket warning alarm sounded,[12] she spoke with her mother on the phone. She mentioned the limited shelter options and her intention to find safety.[14][15] After the attack, a video emerged showing Louk in the back of a pickup truck, appearing unconscious.[16]
Early reports suggested that Louk had been killed, with the video seemingly showing her lifeless.[17][18] However, her mother, Ricarda Louk, maintained that she was alive. On 10 October, a Palestinian family friend informed Ricarda that Shani was receiving medical treatment in a hospital under Hamas' control.[19][16] In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Ricarda confirmed that Shani was alive but had suffered a severe head injury and was in critical condition. She sought assistance from the German government.[20] Furthermore, Ricarda received a bank notice indicating that Shani's credit card had been used near the Indonesia Hospital in Gaza on 8 October.[20]
As of 10 October 2023, there has been no official confirmation from Israeli, German, or Palestinian authorities regarding Shani Louk's whereabouts or her current condition.[17][21] On 13 October, during a visit to Israel, Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock met with Ricarda Louk and other family members of individuals who went missing after the attack. After the meeting, Ricarda stated at a press conference that German-Israeli citizens would receive support from Germany, and the German government was actively working to find solutions. Baerbock mentioned that Germany was in communication with various parties having contact with Hamas to convey the message that the hostages must be released.[22]
A video that appeared to show Shani Louk gained widespread attention.[23][24] In a column for The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof discussed this video as an example of the trauma and anger experienced by Jewish communities in the aftermath of the attacks.[25]
Security experts interviewed by Agence France-Presse stated that the release of this video, along with others depicting deceased or captured civilians, was a deliberate and sophisticated form of propaganda. The intention was to evoke feelings of "helplessness, paralysis, and humiliation" among the population. The viral sharing of such content contributed to promoting Hamas' narratives.[26]
Despite Hamas being banned on Twitter as a terrorist organization, some of its propaganda videos managed to circulate on the platform through sharing.[27] One of the discussed videos was the one that appeared to show Shani Louk. This, along with other Hamas-related content, led the European Commission to caution Twitter's owner, Elon Musk, about permitting the spread of illegal content.[28] Consequently, on 12 October, they initiated an investigation into Twitter for the dissemination of "violent and terrorist content" and other forms of illegal content.[29][30]
↑Kalisch, Muriel (8 October 2023). "(S+) Israel: Shani Louk, die Deutsche in der Gewalt der Hamas" [(S+) Israel: Shani Louk, the German in the hands of Hamas]. Der Spiegel (in German). Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023. Die Familie hat die junge Frau auf dem Video erkannt, ein Ex-Freund von Shani Louk hat es ihnen zugeschickt. … Die 22-Jährige lebt allein in Tel Aviv… (transl. The family recognized the young woman in the video; an ex-boyfriend of Shani Louk sent it to them. … The 22-year-old lives alone in Tel Aviv…)
↑Lukpat, Alyssa (9 October 2023). "What to Know About the Massacre at Israel Music Festival". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023. Hamas militants abducted and killed Shani Louk, a 30-year-old German-Israeli citizen who was attending the festival. They paraded her naked body around in a pick-up truck as supporters chanted "Allahu akbar."
↑Fischer, Jan-Frederik; Schiller, Eva (10 October 2023). "Israel: Shani Louk - Deutsche Geisel der Hamas lebt" [Israel: Shani Louk – German Hamas hostage alive]. ZDF (in German). Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023. Das Video der schwer verletzten Shani Louk erlangte im Internet große Bekanntheit. (transl. The video of seriously injured Shani Louk became widely known on the Internet.)