Omer Shem Tov
Omer Shem Tov | |
|---|---|
_02.jpg) Shem Tov (third from left) meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Also pictured: Yair Horn, Naama Levy, Eli Sharabi, Keith Segal, Aviva Segal, Doron Steinberger, and Noa Argamani | |
| Known for | His abduction to Gaza during the Nova festival massacre and his public activity after release |
| Parent | Shelly Shem Tov |
Omer Shem Tov is a former Israeli hostage who was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and held captive in Gaza for 505 days. His ordeal, including the abuse he suffered and his refusal to cooperate with captors’ demands to harm others, was widely reported in major news outlets and made him a symbol of the ongoing hostage crisis and its impact on Israeli society. Following his release in February 2025, Shem Tov traveled internationally to advocate for the release of remaining hostages, appeared and spoke at public events, and met with political figures.
Background
Shem Tov grew up in a largely secular home in which he was not particularly religiously observant, but he described himself as always having had faith.[1] At seven, he attended a rally for the release of Gilad Shalit, who was held by Hamas for five years before being released in a prisoner swap in 2011.[2] His family described him as loving and outgoing.[3] Shem Tov completed his compulsory military service in 2023. He was waiting tables in a steakhouse to earn money for a planned trip to South America at the time of his abduction.[1]
Kidnapping on October 7, 2023
Shem Tov was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his friends, siblings Maya and Itay Regev. Ori Danino, whom they had met the night before, fled and came back with a car. While trying to flee to safety, they were blocked by Hamas pickup trucks and fired upon. Itay and Maya took bullet wounds in their legs. Shem Tov and the Regev siblings were loaded onto a pickup truck amid shouts of “Allahu Akbar”. They were driven to a small storage unit in Gaza, and Shem Tov was taken underground.[4] Danino was later killed.[5]
Captivity
Maya and Itai Regev were released in the November 2023 weeklong truce-hostage deal,[6] and Shem Tov was held alone. One of his captors was a doctor who provided Shem Tov with an inhaler for his asthma.[4] He was held largely in darkness.[7] Shem Tov said his captors cursed and spat on him. He stated they threatened to shoot him in the head if he would not help collapse a booby-trapped building on IDF troops,[8] but he answered "Then shoot me in the head. I have no intention of doing it.”[4] Shem Tov said he found favor with his captors by cooking and cleaning for them.[9]
Shem Tov said he picked up one of his captors' weapons while they slept and considered shooting them, but got cold feet, fearing that the gun would jam.[4] Shem Tov was initially given two pitas a day, despite having celiac disease.[2] Later, he was fed only a biscuit and a small amount of salty water for much of his captivity. Just before his release, his captors gave him chocolate, chicken and rice.[4]
Release
Shem Tov was released on February 22, 2025 along with Tal Shoham, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.[10][11] Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed were released separately on the same day.[10] At the release ceremony, Shem Tov was instructed to kiss the Hamas cameraman on the head. Though hesitant, he carried out the instruction and was freed to the Red Cross, who transported him back to Israel.[4]
Post-release activities
Shem Tov and his mother Shelly were greeted by Israeli President Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.[12] Nine days after his release, Shem Tov flew to Washington D.C. to meet President Trump in the Oval Office, along with freed hostages Eli Sharabi, Doron Steinbrecher, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Iair Horn and Noa Argamani.[13] In May 2025, Shem Tov threw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park on Jewish Heritage Night, at the series opener against the New York Mets. Shem Tov's sneakers had “BRING THEM HOME NOW” emblazoned on the side. He wore a Red Sox jersey with a yellow ribbon to commemorate his 58 fellow hostages who were still trapped in Gaza.[14] Shem Tov removed his own hostage poster at Dancers' Square in his hometown of Herzliya, at the weekly rally for the hostages' return, together with Maya and Itay Regev.[15] He took on additional forms of Jewish observance while in captivity and after returning home, as did his mother. Coincidentally, both Shem Tov and Shelly were given copies of Psalm 20 during his captivity, Omer by his captors and Shelly by a group supporting hostages' families.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Kershner, Isabel (2025-06-10). "Young Israeli Hostage Says Finding Faith Helped Him Survive Hamas Captivity". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ a b Rosenberg, Michelle (2024-02-21). "'Omer stood up for Gilad Shalit – now the world needs to stand up for him,' says family of hostage". Jewish News. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Rynor, Morgan (2024-01-03). "South Florida family wants loved one held by Hamas home". CBS Miami. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ a b c d e f Freiberg, Nava; Horovitz, Michael; Magid, Jacob; Berman, Lazar; Lehmann, Noam; Horovitz, Michael; Magid, Jacob (2025-05-10). "Ex-hostage Omer Shem Tov says he refused captors' demand to fell building on IDF troops". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Casey, Michael (2025-05-23). "Three months after his release, former Israeli hostage deals with guilt of enjoying everyday life". AP News. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Odenheimer, Natan; Livni, Ephrat; Minsberg, Talya; Bigg, Matthew Mpoke (2025-02-22). "Who Are the 6 Freed Israeli Hostages?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Einiger, Josh (2025-05-22). "Omer Shem-Tov, Israeli man held hostage by Hamas for 505 days, shares story of captivity, survival". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Former hostage Omer Shem Tov details Hamas abuse in Gaza". The Jerusalem Post. 2025-05-09. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Moller, Louisa (2025-05-19). "Israeli held by Hamas more than 500 days visits Massachusetts, calls for release of all hostages". CBS Boston. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ a b Usher, Sebastian (2025-02-22). "Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release as hostages freed". BBC Home. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Berman, Lazar; Freiberg, Nava (2025-02-22). "Hamas frees final 6 living hostages in phase 1 of deal; all reunite with family in Israel". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "Herzog meets released hostage Omer Shem Tov, calls for return of 'all our sons and daughters'". JNS.org. 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Wagenheim, Mike (2025-03-06). "Freed Israeli hostages tell Trump they didn't think they'd be freed before his return to White House". JNS.org. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Starr, Gabrielle (2025-05-20). "Former Hamas hostage throws first pitch at Fenway". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Omer Shem Tov speaks about captivity for first time". The Jerusalem Post. 2025-03-13. Retrieved 2025-07-06.