Tattoo artist Shani Louk has become a symbol of the Hamas music festival massacre. The IDF finally recovered her body.

• The IDF recovered the bodies of three hostages in the Gaza Strip, including that of Shani Louk.

• Hamas militants killed the hostages on October 7, during the New Music Festival massacre.

• Shani Louk became a symbol of October 7th after photos and videos of her kidnapping went viral.

The Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of three hostages in the Gaza Strip in Israeli military announced on Friday.

At a press conference, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, IDF spokesman, said: “It is with regret that I share the news that last night the Israel Defense Forces and ISA forces recovered the bodies of our hostages: Shani Louk, Amit Buskila and Yitzchak Gleren-ter.”

Shani Louk has become a symbol of October 7th Hamas terrorist incursion into Israel after photos and videos of his body being kidnapped went viral.

Hamas militants killed the three hostages on October 7 as they tried to flee the New Music Festival massacre, and their bodies were taken to Gaza.

Louk’s father, Nissim Louk, spoke of the “relief” of finally having his 22-year-old daughter’s body.

“We were informed that soldiers from a commando team had found bodies, and the condition of the body was very good. It was in a relatively deep place in a deep tunnel and very cold,” he said, for The Daily Mail.

The three bodies were transferred to medical professionals for forensic examination and identification, according to Hagari’s statement. After the procedure was completed, the IDF notified their families.

“We will leave no stone unturned,” Hagari said. “We will do everything in our power to find our hostages and bring them home. We will not rest until we do.”

The Associated Press freelancer Ali Mahmud won O Reynolds Journalism Institute Award for Staff Photo Story of the Year for an image showing Shani Louk lifeless body in the back of a pickup truck and surrounded by Hamas militants.

Louk’s father, Nissim Louk, defended the controversial decision to grant the distressing image.

“I’m glad the photo won the award,” he said. “This is one of the most important photos of the last 50 years. These are some of the photos that shape human memory.”

More than 360 people were killed at the Nova festival near Kibbutz Re’im and 40 were captured, according to the Times of Israel.

On October 7, Hamas militants also captured 252 hostages in Israel; 129 hostages are still in captivity in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan.

Since October 7, Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. More than 10,000 are missing or trapped under the rubble of IDF bombings.

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