Israelis identify body of woman thought to be taken hostage in Gaza

The body of a young woman thought to have been taken by Hamas terrorists into Gaza has been identified by authorities in Israel.

Shani Gabay, 25, was attacked at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Be'eri when it was attack by militants from the Islamist terror group.

Gabay was working at the festival and called her mum from her car at around 6:40AM, just after Hamas launched its initial rocket barrage on kibbutzim and towns across the Negev.

Her mother told her to pull over and take shelter, not realising that Hamas gunmen were attacking partygoers in the area. Shani is believed to have found a shelter with other festival attendees, which was attacked by terrorists, who threw a grenade into the hiding place.

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Posters bearing the portraits of hostages Noa, Omer Shem Tov and Shani Gabay, taken by Hamas militants in the October 7 attack, after a rally in Tel Aviv on October 31, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

She was then shot by Hamas before taking shelter in a police command post, which was then also attacked and she has not been heard from since.

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An Israeli soldier stands at the grounds of the Supernova electronic music festival after Saturday's deadly attack by Islamist Hamas militants where 260 people died and more than 100 people were taken hostage, according to the ZAKA rescue agency. (Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/DPA)

Shani was from the town of Yokne'am Illit in the north of Israel and in a statement, the mayor said: "Our Shani is gone. Our hearts are broken into pieces. We are all crying and refuse to believe, how much we waited for a different ending.

"47 days of hope came to an end with receiving the bitter news this morning about the murder of Shani on October 7. My heart goes out to my dear parents Jacob and Michal, her brother Aviel, and her sister Nitzan - who for seven weeks turned every stone and went everywhere in Israel and the world to find Shani, and fought and cried out to bring her home. We all hug the family and stand by their side.

"May her memory be a blessing."