The story of Mia Shem, a 21-year-old Israeli abducted by Hamas, and her mother’s plea for her return

Mia Shem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman, was abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, during an outdoor music festival in the Negev desert. She is one of the 199 hostages that Israel claims are being held captive in Gaza by Hamas, amid the ongoing conflict between the two sides.

On October 16, 2023, Hamas released a video of Mia on their Telegram channel, showing her receiving medical treatment for her injured arm. In the video, she addressed the camera directly, saying that she was fine and asking to be returned home as soon as possible.

“I’m being cared for, I’m getting medications,” she said in the video. “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 me out of here as soon as possible.”

The video also showed footage of her arm injury, which the Israel Defence Force (IDF) later labeled as an attempt to portray Hamas as a “humane organization”.

“It is a murderous terrorist organization responsible for the murder and abduction of babies, women, children, and elderly,” the IDF said in a statement. “Last week, Mia Shem’s family was informed by IDF officials that Mia had been abducted. IDF representatives are in continuous contact with the family. The IDF is deploying all intelligence and operational measures for the return of the hostages.”

Mia Shem’s mother speaks out

Keren Shem, Mia’s mother, told Ynet late Monday night that this video was the first confirmation for her that her daughter was alive. “I know my baby is alive, I was in uncertainty until now,” she said. “There was only a hypothesis that she was kidnapped, we didn’t know anything. I saw my daughter now, that she was injured.”

She also said that she noticed something strange about Mia Shem’s speech in the video, and that she believed she was forced by her captors to say what she said. “She spoke in a very strange way, not like herself,” she said. “She said everything is fine, but I saw in her eyes that she was scared and hurt.”

Keren Shem also appealed to world leaders and human rights organizations to intervene and help free her daughter and the other hostages. “I call on everyone who can help us, please help us,” she said. “Please don’t leave us alone in this nightmare. Please don’t let them kill my daughter.”

She also expressed her frustration with the Israeli government’s handling of the situation, saying that they were not doing enough to rescue the hostages. “I don’t feel that they are doing everything they can,” she said. “They are not telling us anything, they are not updating us. They are leaving us in the dark.”

Keren added that she had not received any contact from Hamas or any other mediator regarding her daughter’s condition or ransom demands. “We don’t know what they want from us,” she said. “We don’t know what they are planning to do with her.”

The plight of the hostages

Mia Shem is one of the many hostages that Hamas has taken from Israel since the outbreak of violence in May 2023, when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli cities and Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza.

According to Israel, there are 199 people being held captive in Gaza by Hamas, including four soldiers who were killed in action and whose bodies have not been returned.

Hamas has not confirmed the exact number or identity of the hostages but has released several videos of some of them on their social media platforms, showing them in various states of distress and pleading for their release.

Hamas has also demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages, but Israel has rejected this offer, saying that it would only encourage more kidnappings.

The hostage crisis has added another layer of complexity and urgency to the already tense and volatile situation between Israel and Hamas, which have not reached a lasting ceasefire agreement despite several rounds of mediation efforts by Egypt and other countries.

The international community has also expressed its concern and condemnation over the hostage situation, calling for their immediate and unconditional release.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was “deeply disturbed” by the video of Mia Shem and urged Hamas to respect international humanitarian law and human rights.

The United States State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that he was “appalled” by the video and called on Hamas to end its “barbaric” actions.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that he was “shocked” by the video and demanded that Hamas release all hostages without delay.

The French Foreign Ministry said that it was “extremely concerned” by the video and reiterated its support for Mia and her family.

The hope for peace

Despite the grim reality of the hostage situation, some people have not given up hope for peace and reconciliation between Israel and Hamas.

One of them is Conor Allyn, who directed Mia Shem in the 19th-century-set thriller In the Fire in the months leading up to her abduction.

He told PEOPLE that Mia was a talented and passionate actress who loved life and had a bright future ahead of her.

He also said that he hoped that her ordeal would not be in vain and that it would inspire people to work for peace and coexistence.

“Mia is a beautiful soul who deserves to be free and happy,” he said. “She is also a symbol of the tragedy and absurdity of this conflict, which has taken so many innocent lives and caused so much suffering. I hope that her story will touch people’s hearts and minds, and make them realize that there is no other way but peace.”