Shani Louk, a German-Israeli national, was among festivalgoers who had gathered in farmland near the Gaza-Israel border for what was supposed to be an all-night dance party celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Instead, in the early hours of Saturday morning, it was swarmed by Hamas fighters who gunned down revelers and took others hostage, as they launched an unprecedented assault on Israel.
Louk was later pictured in a video, identified by her dreadlocks and tattoos, being paraded through Gaza as onlookers shouted “Allahu Akbar.”
She is among a large number of Israeli nationals who have been taken hostage by Hamas militants and are now being held in locations across Gaza, complicating Israel’s response to the deadly attack.
Israel is taking pains to establish the exact number of hostages that have been taken into Gaza, an isolated coastal enclave of almost 2 million people crammed into 140 square miles, one of the most densely populated places in the world.
Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, the military’s international spokesperson, told CNN on Sunday that “dozens” had been captured and emphasized just how complex the situation was as the army launched air strikes on Gaza in retaliation. In an earlier briefing he had said “civilians, children and grandmothers” were among those being held captive.
Hamas claims it has captured dozens of Israelis, including soldiers, and videos authenticated by CNN show some of the dramatic seizures.
Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has warned attacks in the area could impact hostages, with its spokesman, Abu Obaida, saying in a recorded audio message Saturday that they were “present in all axes in the Gaza Strip.”
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that “it is unprecedented in our history that we have so many Israeli nationals in the hands of a terrorist organization.”
It has been more than 17 years since an Israeli soldier was taken as a prisoner of war in an assault on Israeli territory. And Israel has not seen this kind of infiltration of military bases, towns and kibbutzim since town-by-town fighting in the 1948 war of independence.
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A lot more than that needs to happen. Israel’s no saint here either let’s not forget. I am absolutely not I repeat not justifying the actions of Hamas here. This is way past the line and they’ve ruined all of their credibility.
Bad people on both sides of this one.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this, the fact that Israel’s been mistreating Palestine for decades, and… it excuses nothing. Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization that has specifically targeted civilians, and should be utterly destroyed. Palestinians shouldn’t be represented by monsters willing to do what they’ve done.
Does hamas have any credibility to lose begin with. I lost any trust I had in them when I discovered they use children as suicide bombers and shields. These were never anything more than terrorists masquerading as the persecuted. Israels not much batter, their one step away from fascists. But no one in any position to do anything is ever objective about these two. The media that’s pro Palestine very clearly understated their actions and blames them as reactions for Israels persecution of them. The pro Israeli media just recounts hamas’s horror and claims retaliation is the only deterrent to more aggression. In the background more people die. I’m so tired of this messy status quo that has been ongoing since before I was even born. F*ck this whole situation.
Yeah, decades of fucked up politics led to this point unfortunately.
All those conflicts and shit in the world, and climate change will just worsen it all, globally. Part of me is at a point where I just want the whole world burn, just to give another species a chance. Because it seems we just don’t want to be good to one another.
I feel that, sadly.
Millennia. I think the original problem started with the Babylonian exile. The only continuous period of absolute peace was when the romans burned down the temple and salted the earth in Jerusalem.
I’m not advocating for any of this, but the problems are rooted deeper than 1947.
Let’s be honest, the actual issue here is that people think that land is theirs at all ever to begin with. The whole idea is fucking ridiculous. The fact that people are willing to kill innocent people so that they can step foot on different ground is just as Preposterous as withholding land from other people because you don’t want them to be on it…
Well, yes, but I meant specifically in the context of the Israeli state and its treatment of Palestinian people.
Hamas started out full ISIS. Then they built schools and roads in Gaza and got democratically elected to lead the Palestinians. Now they are a state in all but name waging war on a neighbor (who, let’s face it, has inflicted some grievances on them).
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You realize they’re only taking hostages because Israel only hesitates to blow them up if you MIGHT have one of their people nearby, right? They also do trades to get each of their own people back. So if you want your brother out of prison for fighting being annexed you need leverage.
Without any protection they would just get bombed into oblivion.
They did this to continue the horror of what they already did, it was a power play not a smart play.
I’m not disagreeing but this “that’s what bad people in stories do” line of prosecution should be thrown out of court.
After the shit they pulled that should probably happen to be honest
Yes, bombing 2.1 million innocent civilians into the ground just makes perfect sense to everyone. /s
I understand with and agree to your point. I was being hyperbolic intentionally and recognize that it would solve nothing to kill more innocent people.