Shani Louk a German-Israeli national, was among the festival attendees who gathered on farmland near the Gaza-Israel border for what was supposed to be an all-night party celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Instead, in the early hours of Saturday morning (7), the site was surrounded by Hamas fighters who shot dead partygoers and took others hostage as they launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.
See also – CNN shows video of Israeli soldier being captured by Hamas
Louk was later portrayed in a video, identified by her dreadlocks and tattoos, being led through the streets of Gaza as people shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is great”, in free translation).
She is among countless Israeli citizens who have been taken hostage by Hamas militants and are now detained in locations across Gaza, complicating Israel’s response to the deadly surprise attack.
Israel seeks to determine the exact number of hostages taken to Gaza, an isolated coastal enclave with almost 2 million people, crammed into an area of approximately 360 square kilometers, one of the most densely populated places in the world.
Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told CNN this Sunday (8) that “dozens” were captured and emphasized how complex the situation was when the army launched air strikes against Gaza in retaliation.
In an earlier statement, he said “civilians, children and grandparents” were among those held captive.
Hamas claims to have captured dozens of Israelis, including soldiers, and videos authenticated by CNN show some of the dramatic seizures.
The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, warned that attacks in the area could affect hostages, with its spokesman, Abu Obaida, saying in an audio message recorded on Saturday that they were “present in all axes of the Strip.” of Gaza.”
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), told CNN that “there is no precedent in our history for us to have so many Israeli citizens in the hands of a terrorist organization.”
It has been more than 17 years since an Israeli soldier was taken prisoner of war in an attack on Israeli territory. And Israel has not seen this kind of infiltration into military bases, cities and kibbutzim since the city-to-city fighting of the 1948 war of independence.
Music Festival
Hundreds of music festival participants New they ran across the plains of the Negev desert, near Urim, a community close to the Gaza Strip, trying to escape Hamas gunmen who pursued them in vehicles in a terrifying chase.
Some were killed and others were captured by armed captors, videos on social media showed.
In another video authenticated by CNN , an unconscious woman who was at the festival could be seen being paraded around by armed militants in Gaza. Afterwards, the CNN confirmed the woman’s identity as Louk.
A CNN reached out to his family for comment but has not yet received a response.
His cousin confirmed to the Washington Post that Louk attended the music festival.
A CNN does not know Louk’s whereabouts or condition at this time and has decided not to play the video as it contains strong images.
“We recognized her by her tattoos and she has long dreadlocks,” Louk’s cousin told the newspaper Washington Post. “We have some kind of hope. Hamas is responsible for her and others.”
Israeli border communities
Hamas fighters took hostages in the border community of Be’eri and the town of Ofakim, 32 km east of Gaza, IDF spokesman General Daniel Hagari said, adding that the two locations were the “main focal points ” of the unfolding crisis.
In a televised speech, he said there were special forces with senior commanders in both communities and that fighting continued in 22 locations.
A video, geolocated by CNN for Be’eri, it appears to show Hamas militants taking several Israelis prisoner.
Residents of Be’eri and another community on Israel’s border with Gaza, Nir Oz, told the country’s Channel 12 television station that attackers were going door to door, trying to break into their homes.
Channel 12 also reported that infiltrators took hostages at Netiv HaAsara. Israeli authorities did not immediately confirm any details about this information.
An Israeli mother told CNN who was on the phone with his children, aged 16 and 12, who were home alone when they heard gunshots outside and people trying to get in. Then, over the phone, she heard the door break.
“I heard terrorists speaking Arabic to my teenage children. And the youngest one telling them, ‘I’m too young to go,’” said the mother. “And the phone rang, the line rang. That was the last time I heard from them.” A CNN does not identify the mother and her children for security reasons.
Another Israeli father told CNN who suspects that his wife and daughters may have been kidnapped while visiting Nir Oz.
He said he recognized his wife in a video showing a group of people being loaded into the back of a truck flanked by Hamas militants, while chants of “Allahu Akbar” resound.
“I don’t even know what the hostage situation is and the situation doesn’t look good,” Yoni Asher said, adding that he tracked his wife’s phone and discovered it was located in Gaza.
In another video, geolocated by CNN in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza, a barefoot woman is pulled from the trunk of a jeep by an armed man and then forced to sit in the back seat of the car. Her face is bleeding and her wrists appear to be tied behind her back.
The jeep also appears to have an IDF license plate, suggesting it may have been stolen and brought to Gaza.
Soldiers
Al Qassam Brigades claimed to capture “dozens” of Israeli soldiers on Saturday.
“We bring good news to our prisoners [palestinos] and our people that the Al Qassam Brigades have dozens of officers and soldiers [israelenses] captured in their hands,” said the group’s spokesman, Abu Obaida, in a Telegram post.
“They were protected in secure locations and resistance tunnels.”
A video geolocated and authenticated by CNN shows at least one Israeli soldier being taken prisoner.
The video, posted on Hamas’ official social media accounts, shows militants pulling two clearly terrified and dazed soldiers from a disabled tank.
It is not clear from the video how the tank was disabled, but Hamas has used drones to drop bombs on Israeli tanks before.
One of the soldiers is then seen in a short snippet of video being kicked to the ground by the militants. In the next clip, the soldier is seen lying motionless on the ground.
The second soldier is seen being taken away by Hamas militants. A third soldier – with a very bloody face – is seen lying on the ground, motionless, near the tank track.
A CNN does not know the whereabouts or current situation of the three soldiers.
A second video, taken later, shows several different armed men surrounding the tank. The three soldiers are nowhere to be found.
The gunmen are seen pulling a fourth Israeli soldier from the tank. He lies motionless as he is dragged down the side of the tank to the ground. The armed men are seen trampling his body.
PHOTOS – Israel is bombarded by Hamas rockets
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
