Sunny Luke, the 23-year-old German-Israeli who was believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas militants while participating in a music festival on October 7, was likely killed before being taken to Gaza, her family said on Monday. Ruthie Luke, the 23-year-old’s aunt, told Israel Radio on Monday that a fragment of Shani’s skull was found at the rave by workers from ZAKA, an aid organization that recovered forensic evidence after the Hamas attacks.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed her death on Monday in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Shortly after October 7, Hamas released a video of a woman face down and nearly naked in the back of a truck in Gaza. Luke’s mother stated that she believed it was her daughter because the person had her distinctive hair and tattoos. The New York Times note that they have not independently verified the video.
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that the National Forensic Institute had identified the bone as coming from the base of Sunny Luke’s skull and said the fragment indicated an injury that Sunny could have survived. The Institute did not comment to The Times on the developments.
“We assume that she was dragged onto the truck since she was already dead,” her aunt told Israel Radio. He added that the family believed she had been fatally shot in the head.
“Perhaps we can be comforted by the thought that she died quickly and that the abuse of her body was perhaps done when she was already gone,” he said.
The New York Times could not immediately reach her family for comment.
“The news of Sunny Luke’s death is terrible,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X on Monday afternoon. “Like many others, he was brutally murdered. This shows the complete brutality behind the attack by Hamas – which must be held accountable. This is terrorism and Israel has the right to defend itself.”
Sunny’s sister, Andi Luke, posted a photo of her on an Instagram story on Monday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my sister Shani Nicole Louk,” she wrote.
Source: News Beast
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