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.

  • ComputerSagtNein@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Hope she’s really alive, but her life will never be the same after these horrible events :(

    • Khalic@kbin.social
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      1 year 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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        1 year 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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          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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        1 year 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@kbin.social
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          1 year 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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            1 year 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
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        1 year 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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        1 year 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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        1 year 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
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        1 year 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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        1 year ago

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

        • Khalic@kbin.social
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          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.

        • ichbinjasokreativ@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Stripped almost naked in a crowd of armed men from a subculture that considers women of different religions to be worthless isn’t good enough for you?

      • Eezyville
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        1 year ago

        Agreed. Don’t let their entire life be defined by this one event.

        • hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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          1 year ago

          This was the girl everyone was saying was raped and murdered. No reputable news publication has confirmed that she was raped and she is now confirmed alive.

          So slow the fuck up.

          • Armok_the_bunny@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            She’s not the only one that was there. There were other people there that were murdered and other people there that were raped. Just because one was spared from that fate doesn’t mean it didn’t happen to others.

            • hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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              Again no reputable news publication has reported rape. It’s is a very common racist dog whistle to accuse Muslims of rape so I’m asking you not to until you have confirmed evidence.

              It is very possible there were rapes committed but it’s disgusting to lie about it to justify stealing Palestinian land and killing Palestinian people.

              Edit: wild, 40 downvotes and NOT A SINGLE SOURCE.

              • mrnotoriousman@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                How do you feel about the video of her being pulled out of the back of the truck with blood all over her crotch area?

                • chowder@lemmy.one
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                  That was a different woman, but the video definitely proves they are raping hostages.

                • hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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                  I know that people were saying she was dead because of that footage. But she’s not and that is confirmed.

                  Now can you please wait on the racist rape accusations until there is a single shred of evidence besides woman-at-scene-of-massacre-has-blood-on-her-in-photo?

                  In the meantime you should think about the fact that Israel is cutting off power to that hospital.

                  • mrnotoriousman@kbin.social
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                    Not sure why you assume I am supporting either side of this conflict, because I’m not.

                    Now can you please wait on the racist rape accusations until there is a single shred of evidence besides woman-at-scene-of-massacre-has-blood-on-her-in-photo?

                    Lol “racist.” There’s a lot of footage and documentation of them raping during the attack, it’s not racist to see a video of a woman with blood all over her crotch area and make the connection that they raped her along with all the other civilians they raped.

                    In the meantime you should think about why you are defending rape, beheading of children, and massacre of innocent civilians.

              • li10@feddit.uk
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                Is it being racist, or just assuming that terrorists are bad?

                Because, and I’m sorry if this is controversial, but terrorists are bad.

                • hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest
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                  1 year ago

                  Israel is doing settler terrorism but I don’t see anyone accusing them of rape. So the distinction you’re making is about them being Muslim

                  • chaogomu@kbin.social
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                    1 year ago

                    Actually…

                    The IDF does have a rape problem.

                    Soldiers who rape Palestinian civilians are theoretically punished, but enforcement can be hit or miss.

                  • li10@feddit.uk
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                    If white supremacists launched an attack and kidnapped people, then I wouldn’t be calling racism over rape accusations.

                    These people are animals because of their actions, not their skin colour.

                  • Peaty
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                    1 year ago

                    No the distinction is there is evidence that suggested these Hamas soldier raped people.

                  • 1847953620@lemmy.world
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                    It’s biased to demand evidence when there’s enough evidence out there already, and to be so sensitive to a single commonality you have with them (culture) that it clouds objectivity.

                    Hamas and IDF have both long documented histories of war crimes, why is it hard to believe the most aggressive attack in recent times would have those components?

                    The standard of proof you’re requesting is what betrays your bias. Nobody so far has wanted to waste their time googling things for you because they know it’s likely gonna be an exercise in self-inflicted torture to try to change your mind when a bias is this prominent.

              • Peaty
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                There are videos of woman captives with bloody crotches. It doesn’t take a doctorate in medicine to figure out the rapists were raping people.

                  • Peaty
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                    1 year ago

                    Are you suggesting someone made a fake video featuring someone who looked like the woman in the article? Are you a clown by trade or just on lemmy?

              • Socsa
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                You are very clearly not following the news then.