Mother of Woman Dragged Naked by Hamas, Tearful Plea: "Help Me"

Shani Luke from Germany Arrested After Attending Music Festival
Video Emerges Showing Him Loaded onto Truck in Unconscious State

A mother of a woman who was kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group Hamas after participating in a music festival in Israel appealed for help through social media.

The kidnapped woman has been identified as Shani Luke (22), originally from Germany. On the 9th (local time), Shani Luke's mother, Ricarda Luke, posted on social media, "My daughter was kidnapped along with a group of tourists in southern Israel," adding, "I received a clear video showing a truck carrying my unconscious daughter roaming around Gaza Strip. If anyone has information about my daughter, please help."

A video posted by Ricarda Luke, mother of Shani Luke, asking for news of her daughter kidnapped by Hamas [Image source= SNS capture]

The Palestinian militant faction Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack on Israel on the 7th, indiscriminately kidnapping soldiers and civilians. Especially on social media, videos showing armed assailants kidnapping participants near the music festival venue at Re'im Kibbutz in southern Israel and crowds fleeing gunfire shocked netizens worldwide.

Shani Luke's kidnapping was also revealed through videos posted on social media. The footage showed a truck carrying a naked woman parading through the streets of Gaza Strip. In the video, Hamas militants were sitting on the body of the woman, who appeared unconscious, and some of the crowd surrounding the truck spat at her. Luke's family recognized her as Shani by the tattoos on the woman's body and her hair braided in multiple strands.

Crowds in Gaza cheering toward a truck carrying a person presumed to be Shani Luke [Image source=Captured from SNS]

So far, Luke's survival status has not been confirmed, and CNN reported, "Her current whereabouts or condition are unknown."

Ricarda Luke told CNN, "We have tried to obtain more information, but the video circulating on social media is the last image of my daughter," adding, "We only know that someone tried to use her credit card in Gaza Strip." She continued, "My daughter looked very unwell in the video, but I still hope she is alive," and added, "I hope they (Hamas) do not use her for hostage negotiations."

Meanwhile, as the armed conflict between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel enters its third day, casualties on both sides are rapidly increasing.

On the 9th, the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health announced that 493 people have died and 2,651 have been injured due to Israeli retaliatory airstrikes. The death toll in Israel from Hamas's attacks was estimated at 700 by that morning, with 2,506 injured. This brings the total death toll on both sides to approximately 1,200. In addition to casualties, more than one hundred people have reportedly been taken hostage by Hamas and dragged into Gaza Strip.