Mia Schem

Freed November 30, 2023

Mia Schem's harrowing account of her 55 days in captivity in Gaza provides a deeply personal and detailed look into the experiences of hostages held by Hamas. At 21 years old, this Israeli French citizen from Shoham, Israel, was kidnapped following the terrorist attack by Hamas during the Nova music festival on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities in southern Israel. Her story, shared through television interviews and a photo essay in Yediot Ahronot, highlights the grim realities of captivity, including severe medical neglect and psychological torment.

Schem's ordeal began with surgery for a gunshot wound sustained during the attack, conducted without subsequent proper medical care. She was forced to endure the presence of her captor continuously, sharing a room without access to painkillers and having to change her own bandages.

Her captivity was marked by psychological manipulation and cruelty, as evidenced by an incident where her captor cut off her attempts to manage her own hair, exacerbating her sense of helplessness and violation. The withholding of food by the captor's wife and the forced viewing of footage showing her mother's distress were tactics to deepen her despair. Yet, Schem found moments of resilience, using the sight of her mother to draw strength.

In the final days before her release, Schem was moved to tunnels deep underground, compounding the physical and psychological strain of her captivity. Her release, during a brief truce, was not the end of her ordeal, as she faced further surgeries for the serious injuries sustained.