Who is Mia Shem? The 21-year-old Israeli woman shown in Hamas hostage video
Hamas terrorists have released a chilling video that shows one of at least 199 hostages begging the world for help.
The young Israeli woman, identified as Mia Shem, hasn’t been seen since she was snatched from a music festival near the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7.
The footage, posted on Telegram late Monday, marks the first time Hamas has released video of any of the Israelis it’s holding hostage in the Palestinian enclave.
Here’s what we know about Mia so far:
Where was Mia Shem taken hostage?
The 21-year-old Israeli-French citizen was among the dozens of partygoers abducted by Hamas from the Tribe of Nova music festival near the Gaza Strip, where the terrorists slaughtered 260 other festivalgoers.
Until the video was released late Monday, Shem’s family didn’t know if the young woman was dead or alive — but feared she had been kidnapped.
Her mom, Keren Shem, had said her daughter had told her she was going “to a party down south” on Oct. 7. After hearing of the bloodshed, the distressed mom called Shem repeatedly but never got an answer.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had informed Shem’s family last week that she was among those taken hostage and has been in constant contact with them ever since.
What does the video show?
In the 60-second clip, a pale Shem can be seen being treated for an arm wound as someone off-camera wraps her elbow in a bandage.
“At the moment I am in Gaza,” Shem tells the camera in Hebrew.
She said she was injured and taken across the border where she underwent a three-hour surgery to treat undisclosed injuries.
“They are taking care of me, giving me medicine, everything is fine,” Shem said in the clip.
“I only ask that they bring me home as soon as possible to my parents, to my siblings. Get me out of here as soon as possible. Please.”
How did her family react?
Soon after the hostage footage emerged, Shem’s family held a press conference in Tel Aviv begging for their daughter’s safe return.
“I saw she is alive … I heard before rumors that she was shot in the shoulder or in the leg so I can see she was shot in her shoulder, I see she had an operation, she looks very terrified, she looks like she is in big pain, and I can see that she says what they tell her to say,” her mom told reporters.
“I ask world leaders that my daughter be returned to us in the state that she is today, as well as the other hostages,” the mom added as she held up a photo of her daughter.
“I am begging the world to return my baby to me. It is a crime against humanity. All together we need to stop this terror.”
Shem’s aunt told Israeli media that the family had seen the hostage video and confirmed it was her.
“Today [the family] called me screaming and told me that they see Mia in a video on Telegram. I saw her, and I thought I was dreaming. I finally saw the girl after all this time,” her aunt Galit told Israeli reporters. “She looks hurt and scared — but at least she’s alive.”
The Israeli military’s reaction to Hamas’ video
The IDF slammed the release of the hostage video, saying Hamas was trying “to portray themselves as humane.”
“Last week, Mia was abducted by Hamas. IDF officials have since informed Mia’s family and are in continuous contact with them,” they wrote on social media.
“In the video published by Hamas, they try to portray themselves as humane. However, they are a horrific terrorist organization responsible for the murder and abduction of babies, children, men, women and the elderly.”
