Hamas Releases First Video of Israeli Hostage

Jerusalem, 17 October, 2023 (TPS) -- Hamas released its first video of Israeli hostages on Monday night.

The video shows Miya Shem, a 21-year-old woman from Shoham abducted during the terror group’s attack on the Supernova Sukkot Music Festival on Kibbutz Re’im on Oct. 7. At least 260 people were killed at the rave.

The video, 1:18 long, shows Shem lying down as someone wraps a bandage around her right arm.

The video then cuts to Shem speaking directly to the camera identifying herself, saying she was operated on for three hours for an injury to her hand.

“They’re caring for me, they’re treating me, they’re giving me medication. Everything is okay,” she says. “I’m only asking for me to be returned home as soon as possible, to my family, to my parents, to my siblings. Please get us out of here as soon as possible.”

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the military had already notified the Shem family of Miya’s abduction.

“At this time, IDF representatives are in contact with the family. The IDF operates with all intelligence and operational means for the return of the abductees. In the video, Hamas tries to present itself as a humanitarian organization while it is a murderous terrorist organization, responsible for the murders and kidnappings of babies, women, children and the elderly,” the IDF spokesperson said.

Hamas gave no explanation for the timing of the video’s release. But the terror group claimed on Monday it was holding 200 hostages in Gaza and that another 50 were being held by other factions.