French-Israeli Woman Held Hostage by Hamas in Gaza Strip Pleads for Return
Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman, has been held hostage by the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The first footage of any of the hostages held in Gaza was released by Hamas on Monday, showing Schem lying on a bed with her right arm being bandaged. A long, fresh scar is visible on her arm. Speaking in the video, Schem pleads to be returned to her family and reveals that she was injured and taken to Gaza. She appears pale but keeps her head held high.
Schem’s mother, Keren Scharf Schem, held a press conference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, appealing to the government and world leaders to bring her daughter back home. Holding a picture of her daughter, Schem’s mother said, “I am begging the world to bring my baby back home. She only went to a festival party to have some fun, and now she is in Gaza, and she is not the only one.”
Scharf Schem also expressed her relief at seeing the video and knowing that her daughter is alive. However, she expressed concern about the condition her daughter is in, stating that Schem looks terrified and in pain. She believes that her daughter was coerced into saying what she did in the video.
CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video or the current condition of Schem. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have informed Schem’s family about her kidnapping and are in contact with them.
Hamas has claimed to be holding at least 200-250 hostages, while the rest are held by other militant formations in Gaza. The exact number of hostages in the strip is difficult to determine due to constant Israeli bombardment. The IDF has been conducting airstrikes and artillery attacks on Gaza in response to the Hamas terror attack. Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that more than 2,800 people have been killed in Gaza.
Abu Obaida, a spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, stated that the hostages holding foreign citizenship will be released when the opportunity arises. He also claimed that 22 hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Schem was kidnapped from the Nova festival near the Gaza Strip after a Hamas terror attack that killed at least 1,400 people. The IDF found at least 260 people dead at the festival site. Schem’s family and the people of Israel are anxiously waiting for her safe return.
Schem’s brother, Eli Schem, expressed his love and longing for his sister, promising to do anything to bring her back home.
The situation continues to unfold, and efforts are being made to negotiate the release of all the hostages in Gaza.