"I've always said that Shani's soul is wandering in Gaza and will return to her body when it decides," said Nissim Louk, the father of slain hostage Shani Louk. "Now, in time for her mother's birthday, she came back to us."
Louk's body was retrieved by IDF troops from Gaza after she was murdered on October 7 and her body was abducted by terrorists. She was laid to rest on Sunday.
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Shani Louk's parents receive her jewelry which were retrieved by troops in Gaza
(Photo: Amit Shabi)
In the final chapter of the family's tragic journey, Louk's jewelry was returned to her parents. "The IDF officer assigned to support us came over and gave us an envelope with all her jewelry: a gold earring, an ankle bracelet and even the bracelet she wore when she entered the Nova Music festival," Nissim Louk said. "We will take good care of them. They were the last things touching her body, and we will treasure them as a memorial," he said.
Louk was surprised to see that the jewels, like his daughter's body, were well preserved. "We could see her tattoos, as if nothing had happened to her. Someone said that the righteous do not rot after death. That is an explanation I have accepted," he said.
The family learned of Shani's murder six months ago but her body was found and returned last week along with the remains of three other victims of the Hamas massacre. A clip of her lifeless body being taken to Gaza was one of the first videos to circulate on social media soon after the launch of the attack.
"It's good that they finally gave us a definitive answer, there's some comfort in that," Nissim, a German-Israeli dual citizen, told Ynet after her death had been confirmed. "At least I know she's not tossed in some Gaza tunnel."
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Terrorists abduct the body of slain hostage Shani Louk during the October 7 massacre
(Photo: Ali Mahmud / AP)
The Daily Mail published the images "that shocked the world," revealing the full scope of the horrors of the attack.
The paper highlighted the outrage when AP photographer Ali Mahmoud, who was with the terrorists during their massacre and captured images of them sitting on the back of a pickup truck over Shani's body, received an award.
Louk's father expressed relief that the picture was made public. "It is important. It is one of the most significant photos in the last 50 years. It presents Israel's case to show that evil to the world."
However, her mother was devastated by the image. "Imagine seeing your beloved daughter's dead body, half-naked with those barbarians," she said.