The body of German-Israeli Shani Louk, who was abducted by Hamas at the Nova music festival and paraded half-naked in a truck, has been found and identified.

Ms Louk’s mother Ricarda announced her death on Monday: “Unfortunately we got the news yesterday that my daughter is no longer alive.”

Ms Louk, aged 22, was a tattoo artist and had been attending the festival near the Gaza border which Hamas militants stormed on October 7, opening fire and sending partygoers fleeing through the desert.

On Monday, members of Ms Louk’s family were quoted in Hebrew media as saying that they received a letter from the Israeli Zaka rescue service saying that a bone from the base of her skull, without which a person cannot survive, had been recovered and identified.

Ms Louk’s sister, Adi Louk, also shared the news of her death: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of my sister.”

“We are devastated to share that the body of 23-year-old German-Israeli Shani Luk was found and identified,” the Israel Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Shani’s friends and family during this unimaginable nightmare.”

There has been no official confirmation from the German Foreign Ministry.

Hamas terrorists killed at least 1,400 people during their assault on Israeli communities near the Gaza border, and took at least 229 people hostage.

In video footage that emerged after the attack, Ms Louk was seen lying seemingly unconscious, face down in the back of a pick-up truck in Gaza that was full of jeering Hamas militants.

“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,” her mother said at the time.

Mrs Louk had been informed in mid-October that her daughter was alive but had a “severe head injury” and was in a “critical condition” in a hospital in Gaza.

“We now have more information that Shani is alive,” Mrs Louk told German television two weeks ago, adding that the information had come from Palestinian sources. “Every minute is critical.”