BREAKING: Hamas Releases Propaganda Video Of Israeli Woman Taken Hostage At Outdoor Concert For Peace, Who Is Now Being Held In Gaza As A Human Shield! pic.twitter.com/hByhnZ8L1b
— John Basham (@JohnBasham) October 17, 2023
Hamas releases videos of Israel woman taken hostage on October 7, her family was unaware regarding her being alive until the video came out#IsraelPalestineConflict #Israel #Gaza #Palestine #Hamas #Syria #GazaStrip pic.twitter.com/BqZJ1ED8uz
— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 17, 2023
VIA THE TELEGRAPH:
Emmanuel Macron said “intense’ talks” are progressing to free hostages held by Hamas after the mother of Mia Shem, a Franco-Israeli, begged world leaders to help free her daughter.
On Monday evening, Hamas released a video on its official Telegram channel of “one of the prisoners in Gaza”, showing a young woman speaking Hebrew and receiving treatment for a wounded arm.
The video is the first released by Hamas showing a hostage purportedly speaking from captivity.
The woman says she is being held in Gaza, is being well treated and appeals for her release.
“Hi, I’m Mia Shem, 21-years-old from Shoham. Currently, I’m in Gaza. I returned early Saturday morning from Sderot, I was at a party. I was seriously injured in my hand,” says the young woman.
“I underwent surgery on my hand at the hospital [in Gaza] for three hours. They are taking care of me, giving me medicine, everything is fine.”
She added: “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.”
Plea
On Tuesday, Ms Shem’s mother urged world leaders to intervene to secure her release.
“I ask world leaders that my daughter be returned to us in the state that she is today, as well as the other hostages,” Keren Shem told a press conference in Tel Aviv.
“I beg the world to return my baby to me,” she added.
Speaking to journalists in Tirana, Albania, Mr Macron said he was cautiously optimistic about progress regarding her liberation.
“I want to be very careful here, you will understand that I say no more, firstly not to create expectations that would be frustrated and above all not to endanger the intense discussions that we are currently having.
“But they are moving forward, we are monitoring these discussions hour by hour,” he said, citing “contacts, obviously, with the Israeli authorities” but also with “intermediary friendly powers with Hamas to obtain the release of our hostages and all hostages”.
Earlier the Elysée had issued a statement on Mr Macron’s behalf saying: “It is an ignominy to take innocent people hostage and put them on show in this odious way.”
It called for Ms Shem’s “immediate and unconditional release”.
Ms Shem’s mother said her daughter was at a rave at the Supernova music festival in the Negev desert near the border when she was abducted and taken to Gaza during the deadly attack ten days ago.
“Now she is in Gaza. She is not the only one. There are many adults, children, babies and Holocaust survivors,” she said.
“It is a crime against humanity. All together we need to stop this terror.”
The Israeli military said it had confirmed the identities of 199 hostages taken to Gaza.
Ms Shem said she had not known whether her daughter “was alive or dead” until Hamas released the video.
“There was a rumour saying that she was wounded in the shoulder or the leg. She was wounded in the hand. She was operated on,” Ms Shem said.
“She looks terrified. She says what they tell her to say. I’m really worried about her,” she added.
On Monday, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) denounced the video.
“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 organisation responsible for the murder and abduction of babies, children, men, women and the elderly.”
“At this time, we are deploying all intelligence and operational measures for the return of all hostages – including Mia.”
Earlier on Monday, Hamas claimed it had 250 hostages and demanded the release of 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for their return.
Khaled Meshaal, who now heads Hamas’s diaspora office, said that among the hostages were high-ranking Israeli officers from the Gaza division.
He said the group would spare no effort to use the captives as leverage.
“This is not the first time that the enemy has raised the slogan of eliminating Hamas,” Mr Meshaal, 67, who has lived in Qatar since 2012, told AlAraby TV.
“[Israel] wants to compensate for its loss militarily by killing civilians and children.”
