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A young woman feared to have been killed after being abducted by Hamas from a music festival is alive, her mother has said.
Shani Louk, 22, was attending a music festival near Kibbutz Re'im when Hamas operatives attacked. At least 260 people have been confirmed killed while dozens of others are believed to have been taken hostage.
The German-Israeli citizen appeared in a graphic video circulated on social media in which Hamas militants can be seen stepping on her body as she is transported in the back of a vehicle.
But her mother, Ricarda Louk, told broadcaster ARD she had received new information that her daughter is alive but had a severe head injury and is in a critical condition.
“Every minute is critical and we are asking the German government to act quickly,” she said.
Ms Louk, a student from Berlin, was on holiday in Israel when she decided to attend the event close to the border with Gaza.
The group claims to be holding more than 100 hostages who were seized when hundreds of its fighters crossed the border into southern Israel early on Saturday.
Hamas has threatened to execute Israeli hostages if air strikes on homes in the Gaza Strip are carried out.
Ricarda Louk earlier released a video in a plea for information in which she held up a photo of her daughter and later shared a photo of her passport.
“We were sent a video in which I could clearly see our daughter unconscious in the car with the Palestinians and them driving around the Gaza Strip,” she said in the message.
“I ask you to send us any help or any news. Thank you very much.”
Aftermath of Hamas attack on Israeli music festival
Ms Louk’s Brazilian boyfriend has also been confirmed missing. Other relatives told German media her credit card has been used in Gaza.
Revellers attending the all-night Nova rave at Kibbutz Re'im were gunned down in a morning attack by militants who arrived in microlight planes.
Footage showed people fleeing the festival as gunmen opened fire.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth estimated that 70 per cent of the participants were from Israel, while the remaining 30 per cent had travelled from other countries, including the US and Australia.
The event was promoted as a peace festival celebrating unity and harmony and included several artists from around the globe alongside a line-up of local DJs.
Artists from countries including Japan, France, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Hungary and India were performing.
