A 21-year-old hostage, Mia Schem, who was held captive by Hamas, has been released after spending 54 days in captivity. Mia was attending a dance party with her friends when Hamas operatives stormed in and started firing. In an attempt to escape, she was shot in the arm and subsequently taken hostage. However, as part of the truce deal between Israel and Hamas, Mia was finally released on Thursday.
Photos released by the Israeli prime minister’s office showed Mia, who also holds French nationality, reuniting with her mother and brother at Hatzerim military base in Israel.
Mia gained recognition after appearing in a video by Hamas, where she claimed that the hostages were being treated well. The video showed an unidentified medical worker treating Mia’s injuries. In the clip, she expressed her desire to be returned to her family as soon as possible.
The 78-second video was shared by Hamas on their Telegram channel last month, drawing condemnation from France. Mia’s mother, Keren, held a press conference urging for her daughter’s immediate release.
Contradicting what was shown in the video, Mia’s family claimed that the surgery on her hand was performed by a veterinarian. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his joy upon Mia’s release, stating, “Mia Schem is free. It is a great joy that I share with her family and all French people.”
In response to the October 7 rampage, where gunmen allegedly killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas, which governs Gaza. Prior to the truce, Israel had been bombarding the territory for seven weeks. According to Palestinian health authorities recognized by the United Nations, over 15,000 Gazans have been confirmed killed.
