Latest news with #HamasCaptivity
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Feted by school children, tossing out a first pitch: Former Israeli hostage grapples with celebrity
BOSTON — Three months after his release from Hamas captivity, Omer Shem Tov stood on the pitcher's mound at a Boston Red Sox game. Surrounded by supporters, he tossed out the first pitch, then raised his arms in celebration. His name flashed on the stadium billboard. The moment was emblematic of the new-found — and for Shem Tov, unsought and at times unsettling — celebrity the 22-year-old has found since his release from 505 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Feted by school children, tossing out a first pitch: Former Israeli hostage grapples with celebrity
Three months after his release from Hamas captivity, Omer Shem Tov stood on the pitcher's mound at a Boston Red Sox game. Surrounded by supporters, he tossed out the first pitch, then raised his arms in celebration. His name flashed on the stadium billboard. The moment was emblematic of the new-found — and for Shem Tov, unsought and at times unsettling — celebrity the 22-year-old has found since his release from 505 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip. Before being taken hostage, Shem Tov had just finished military service, was working in a restaurant, having fun with friends and planning an overseas trip. Now, he's in the public eye as he travels the globe campaigning for the release of the remaining 58 hostages — a third of whom are believed still alive. Upon his arrival at Boston's Logan International Airport Shem Tov was greeted by dozens of schoolchildren and their teachers — wearing 'Boston Loves Omer' T-shirts — singing Israeli songs in Hebrew and dancing with him. He toured Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution. He met with an Israeli player for the Revolution, and saw the Patriots' six Super Bowl rings. Both teams are owned by entrepreneur Robert Kraft, whose foundation campaigns against antisemitism. 'I don't like the word, but I'm famous,' Shem Tov acknowledged of the chance to throw out the first pitch at his very first baseball game ever, and the other firsts he's had in Boston. 'I know that a lot of people, a big nation waited for me and a lot of people (fought) for me to come back home," he said of the international campaign waged by hostage families since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, when 251 hostages were seized and about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed by Hamas-led militants. More than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Huge areas of Gaza have been destroyed and around 90% of its population displaced. A return to normal, but also a sense of guilt Shem Tov believes he is doing 'something important' but said it 'can be hard." His return to normal life has not been without challenges. He still freezes when he hears the sound of a jet plane, and is wracked with guilt that things he now enjoys are beyond the reach of the remaining hostages. 'I get greeted in the street. People stop me and want selfies and stuff like this,' he said. 'I support it and I will speak to anyone, anyone, anyone ... because everyone wants to give out love.' Still, little things like 'going and grabbing a bite to eat, I feel it here,' Shem Tov said, clutching his throat. 'It's choking me that I know what they are going through. Maybe they don't have food." "I remember taking the first bite of anything, it was heavenly," he said. "I'm showering and I have guilt that they don't take a shower." Shem Tov, who was attending the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel the day of the attack, described trying to flee with friends Maya and Itay Regev in a car driven by Ori Danino, a stranger who took them in. Militants shot at the car, forced them out and dragged them into Gaza. The Regev siblings were released in a November 2023 ceasefire; Danino was later killed. 'I remember the festival itself, the freedom and happiness and us as youth having fun,' Shem Tov said. 'In seconds, life changed for us. My friends who were there with me, some got killed. Those who came back, they are not the same." Living in darkness Shem Tov said he was initially held above ground with Itay Regev, shuttled between apartments in Gaza — wearing women's cloths to hide their identities. He was eventually moved to a cell 130 feet (40 meters) underground, where he was often in total darkness. He survived on little more than a biscuit daily, he said — dropping from around 176 pounds (80 kilograms) to 121 pounds (55 kilograms). 'There were times I thought, I'm blind. I have been starved. I have been spat on. I've been cursed. Difficult, difficult times,' Shem Tov said. His faith got him through the worst, he said. He began daily conversations with God, offering a greeting and, over time, thanks for all he had — the 'air in my lungs,' 'the small amounts of food that I have' and that his family was safe. Shem Tov said he initially wasn't aware of the battle raging above him. But when he was moved to a tunnel closer to the surface, he could hear Israeli tanks rumbling above and bombs shaking the area. At one point, he could hear Israeli soldiers' voices through a ventilation unit. 'As much as I was glad to hear them, I was very, very scared for my life,' he said. 'The captors that kept me in the tunnels told me as soon as the army or soldiers are heading here, we'll shoot you." 'The first time I feel safe' When he was released on Feb. 22 with five others as part of a ceasefire deal, video showed Shem Tov surrounded by masked, armed Hamas fighters. Under duress, he was seen kissing the head of a Hamas fighter and blowing kisses to the crowd. A van passed in front of the stage, he recalled, and a door opened revealing two hostages who were not being released. He was handed over to the Red Cross and taken to an area controlled by the Israeli military. 'I get out of the vehicle, I look around, I see the sky, the sun. The first time, I feel safe,' he said, adding that he asked an Israeli soldier if he could hug her. 'It's the first time in forever I feel love and warmth,' he said. Shem Tov was taken to meet his parents — his mother, Shelly Shem Tov, had kept his bedroom as he left it, with instructions that nobody should touch or clean it until he came home and did it himself. 'I see my mom and my dad and I run up to them, and I hug them,' Shem Tov said. 'I waited for this moment for so long. I imagined it for so long. This is what I want every hostage to experience.' Shem Tov has embraced the role of advocating for those still hostage — something his parents were already doing — telling anyone who listens they must be brought home. 'It's really fulfilling. I love what I am doing but don't like the cause,' he said. 'I wish they were all here today. I hope it will be soon and in good circumstances.' And while he is reluctant to talk politics, Shem Tov worries Israel's latest offensive in Gaza puts the remaining hostages in danger. 'Every soldier for me is a hero,' he said. 'But there is a big but. For me and the hostages, it's difficult for us while the army is in the area. Places near us are being bombed. I support the army but we have to get them out." "If you keep on going with the military pressure, there is a big chance they will be killed.'
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Israeli held by Hamas more than 500 days visits Massachusetts, calls for release of all hostages
Omer Shem Tov, a 22-year-old Israeli who was released after 505 days in Hamas captivity inside Gaza, sat down for a one-on-one with WBZ's Louisa Moller during a visit to Massachusetts this week. Shem Tov was 19 years old when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova Music Festival in Israel. He was brought to a home then a Hamas tunnel 40 meters under the ground where he spent days in the dark. "Complete darkness" "No one can imagine complete darkness. You know, I put my hand in front of me and I don't see any shadows moving. There were times I thought I'm blind," Shem Tov said. Shem Tov told WBZ how he was fed one biscuit a day with salty water. At times, he had little contact with his captors. "I'm a very warm person, yea? I love to love. I love hugs and I love human connections and there, all I got in a day was someone came in gave me food and went out," he said. Threatened by Hamas commander Shem Tov says he endeared himself to his captors by cooking and cleaning for them. He credits that with saving his life when a Hamas commander asked him to blow up some Israeli soldiers. "I told him no, I'm not going to do it. And he told me, 'OK, so if you don't do it, we'll shoot you in the head' and I told them, 'OK, so you shoot me in the head,'" Shem Tov said. Omer Shem Tov was held hostage by Hamas for 505 days. CBS Boston Shem Tov's trip to Massachusetts was sponsored by Combined Jewish Philanthropies and is part of his family's campaign to get all of the Israeli hostages released. He told WBZ that sharing his story brings awareness to the "hell" that the remaining hostages are in. "First things first, it's the hostages. This is human lives on the line. We have to get them out as soon as possible, all of the 57 hostages dead or alive," he said. "It's my goal right now so I'll speak, and I'll do and I believe me speaking, it's also healing me." Shem Tov's trip to Massachusetts kicked off with a greeting by Boston's Jewish Community Day School students at Logan Airport. He toured Gillette Stadium on Sunday and will throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Monday.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'You saved my life:' Freed hostage Edan Alexander thanks Trump in emotional phone call
In an emotional and widely shared moment, President Donald J. Trump spoke directly with Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old American-Israeli soldier who was recently freed from Hamas captivity, during a phone call captured on camera and released by the White House."Mr. President," Alexander greeted Trump at the start of the call, visibly moved. "You're the only reason I'm here. You saved my life." The phone conversation, which took place while Alexander was recovering at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, came just days after his dramatic release from Gaza, where he was held hostage for over 580 days following his abduction by Hamas on Oct. 7, Captivity Survivors Appeal To Netanyahu, Trump After Edan Alexander's Release President Trump greeted Edan with a bit of humor and humility, saying "I'm very nervous talking to you, Edan, because you're a much bigger celebrity than I am." Trump also expressed American solidarity and the administration's commitment to bringing all hostages home while on the call. "You're an American, and we love you," Trump told Alexander. "We're going to take good care of you. And your parents are incredible. I saw your mother. She was pushing me around a little bit—putting a lot of pressure on me." "Like a good mom!" exclaimed Edan's mother in the background. Read On The Fox News App American Hostage Edan Alexander Released By Hamas After More Than 580 Days In Captivity The heartfelt exchange was posted online by the official White House account and has quickly gone viral, drawing praise from across the political spectrum for its display of humanity and international unity. Alexander's release came amid intensified U.S. diplomatic pressure and quiet negotiations, coordinated in part by senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler. Trump had previously signaled his determination to secure the freedom of American citizens held abroad and made Alexander's case a top priority. The Alexander family issued a statement thanking President Trump directly, along with the negotiation team and the Israeli Defense Forces, calling the outcome "a miracle rooted in strength, diplomacy, and prayer." Edan Alexander's homecoming has reignited calls to bring home the remaining hostages still held in Gaza. A coalition of 65 former hostages recently signed a letter urging both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "build on this breakthrough" and intensify efforts for a comprehensive agreement to ensure every hostage's safe return. Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged the success of this combined effort, stating, "This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination." The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: 'You saved my life:' Freed hostage Edan Alexander thanks Trump in emotional phone call
Fox News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'You saved my life:' Freed hostage Edan Alexander thanks Trump in emotional phone call
In an emotional and widely shared moment, President Donald J. Trump spoke directly with Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old American-Israeli soldier who was recently freed from Hamas captivity, during a phone call captured on camera and released by the White House."Mr. President," Alexander greeted Trump at the start of the call, visibly moved. "You're the only reason I'm here. You saved my life." The phone conversation, which took place while Alexander was recovering at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, came just days after his dramatic release from Gaza, where he was held hostage for over 580 days following his abduction by Hamas on Oct. 7, CAPTIVITY SURVIVORS APPEAL TO NETANYAHU, TRUMP AFTER EDAN ALEXANDER'S RELEASE President Trump greeted Edan with a bit of humor and humility, saying "I'm very nervous talking to you, Edan, because you're a much bigger celebrity than I am." Trump also expressed American solidarity and the administration's commitment to bringing all hostages home while on the call. "You're an American, and we love you," Trump told Alexander. "We're going to take good care of you. And your parents are incredible. I saw your mother. She was pushing me around a little bit—putting a lot of pressure on me." "Like a good mom!" exclaimed Edan's mother in the background. The heartfelt exchange was posted online by the official White House account and has quickly gone viral, drawing praise from across the political spectrum for its display of humanity and international unity. Alexander's release came amid intensified U.S. diplomatic pressure and quiet negotiations, coordinated in part by senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler. Trump had previously signaled his determination to secure the freedom of American citizens held abroad and made Alexander's case a top priority. The Alexander family issued a statement thanking President Trump directly, along with the negotiation team and the Israeli Defense Forces, calling the outcome "a miracle rooted in strength, diplomacy, and prayer." Edan Alexander's homecoming has reignited calls to bring home the remaining hostages still held in Gaza. A coalition of 65 former hostages recently signed a letter urging both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "build on this breakthrough" and intensify efforts for a comprehensive agreement to ensure every hostage's safe return. Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged the success of this combined effort, stating, "This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination." The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
