On Friday, the Israeli military announced the discovery of the bodies of three Israeli hostages in Gaza, who were killed by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.
A haunting image of 22-year-old Louk’s lifeless body in the back of a pickup truck circulated globally, highlighting the brutality of the militants’ assault on southern Israeli communities. The military identified the other two victims as 28-year-old Amit Buskila and 56-year-old Itzhak Gelerenter.
All three individuals were slain by Hamas while attempting to escape the Nova music festival, an outdoor dance event near the Gaza border, where militants massacred hundreds, stated military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari at a press briefing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the deaths as “heart-wrenching,” asserting, “We will bring back all our hostages, both those alive and those deceased.”
The military reported that the bodies were located overnight but did not provide specifics about their location. Israel has been conducting operations in Rafah, a southern city in the Gaza Strip, where it claims to have intelligence regarding the presence of hostages.