Shani Louk: New twist after festivalgoer paraded naked through Gaza streets

A German-Israeli tattoo artist thought to have been captured and killed by Hamas militants in Israel may be alive and in a critical condition in hospital, her mother has claimed.

Shani Louk, a dual citizen of both Germany and Israel — who is believed to have lived with her father about 80 kilometres from the Gaza strip, according to news outlet Der Spiegel — was earlier presumed dead, after disturbing video emerged of her body being paraded through the streets on the back of a utility truck.

Ms Louk's face was not seen in the video, but she was able to be identified via her signature dreadlocks and tattoos. Many had speculated that the young woman, whose official age has not been verified, but reports suggest ranges between 22 and 30, was dead due to the unnatural placement of her legs in the shocking footage.

'Reasons to believe Shani is alive'

Now, Ms Louk's mother Ricarda, who lives in Germany, says she's received information that has led her to believe her daughter is alive and in a critical condition in hospital, having suffered a serious head injury.

“We now have reasons to believe that Shani is alive but has had a severe head injury and is in critical condition. Every minute is critical,” Ms Louk told German news outlet Bild.

“We are not getting any information from the authorities here. Peace activists have told us that Shani will now only get help if the German authorities officially intervene.”

So far, neither Israeli, German, nor Palestinian authorities have confirmed Shani Louk's whereabouts or whether or not she is alive.

The announcement is the latest in a string of tragic twists to rock the family, after it emerged earlier this week that Ms Louk was also likely robbed following her in appearance in the video, after credit card statements showed recent transactions in Gaza.

Yesterday, footage also surfaced — in likely one of the last instances Ms Louk was seen alive — of the young woman dancing gleefully at the the Tribe of Nova event in the Negev Desert surrounded by revellers, 260 of whom were brutally killed during Hamas' assault.

Shani's final words with mother revealed

Ricarda Louk said that when she last spoke to Shani, she told her daughter to take shelter somewhere safe, to which her daughter replied that she would find somewhere to go, as the mum "heard shots ring out on the other side of the phone", according to Bild.

Ricarda said that Shani wanted to "escape the massacre" with her boyfriend and other friends, but that she quickly got separated from the group. Those friends have apparently since reappeared and are safe, but Shani and her boyfriend remain missing.

More on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• Shani Louk: Disturbing development after festivalgoer's naked body paraded through streets

• Tragic German tourist whose body was paraded by Hamas filmed dancing at Israeli festival before abduction

• Israel pounds Gaza with fiercest air strikes ever

• Israel-Hamas conflict leaves 1,500 dead, including 11 U.S. citizens: Full coverage

• Israeli Father Recalls Panicked Phone Call Before His Wife and 2 Young Girls Were Kidnapped and Taken to Gaza

• Aussies warned to ‘reconsider’ travel

"This morning my daughter Shani Louk, a German citizen who was with a tourist group in the south of Israel, was kidnapped by Palestinian Hamas," Ricarda Louk said in a plea earlier this week.

"I was sent a video where I could clearly see my daughter unconscious in a car with Palestinians," she said in German, which was translated. "Please send any help or news. Thank you."

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