Former Hamas Hostage Contrasts Her Experience with Streamer Hasan Piker's Remarks

Maya Regev, a former Hamas hostage, delivered her personal account of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks at the University of Texas at Austin, speaking on the same evening that controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker held an event on campus. Regev stated her intention was to ensure students heard from someone who directly witnessed the events of that day.

During a conversation with Fox News Digital, Regev addressed remarks attributed to Piker, including one where he reportedly said, "It doesn’t matter if rapes f---ing happened on Oct. 7, like that doesn’t change the dynamic for me." Regev expressed concern that students might be influenced by someone who dismisses the gravity of such alleged acts.

Piker, in an interview with The New Republic, stated that while he acknowledged testimony of sexual violence, it did not alter his view that "Israel committing a genocide against the Palestinians, and my opposing that genocide." Regev countered that her experience on Oct. 7 was not a matter of debate or something she read online, but a lived reality that has profoundly impacted her life.

Regev, who was held captive by Hamas for two months after being abducted from the Nova Music Festival, said she was approached by the Jewish organization Chabad to speak at UT Austin after Piker's visit was announced. "I'm not here to silence anyone," Regev told Fox News Digital. "I came there to let people hear what I've been through, like the other side of the story, with facts, with pictures, with records."

She emphasized that her narrative was based on personal experience rather than secondhand information. "For me, October 7, it's not a debate, it's not something I read online. It's something that I've lived through, something that will forever be inside me, something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life," Regev said. "I just think that it's important for them to understand that behind every story there are real human beings."

Regev criticized influencers like Piker for shaping student opinions without direct knowledge of the events. "When they hear an influencer post something, when they read something, it's important for them to check the facts before they are repeating a slogan or celebrating death of innocent people," she advised. She added, "I sat with those people. I lived with them for two months, with Hamas people ... I think that people should listen to a person who was really there and not to a person who just sees stuff online and has millions of followers."

Regev also highlighted what she perceives as a misunderstanding of the situation in Gaza by influencers, pointing to Hamas' alleged use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. "Hamas is using children and women and elderly women as a human shield," Regev stated. "I think, again, people should know the facts before they're talking, and especially when you're very influencing."

The Anti-Defamation League has previously criticized Piker for remarks it labels as antisemitic. Regev, while acknowledging freedom of speech, stressed the importance of presenting multiple perspectives and factual accounts.

Regev and her brother, Itay Regev, were released from captivity in November 2023. Another individual who was with them, Omer Shem Tov, endured 505 days in captivity before his release on February 22, 2025. Ori Danino, who attempted to help Regev and her companions escape on Oct. 7, was held captive for 11 months before being executed by terrorists. Regev described her own release as bittersweet, feeling gratitude for her safety while mourning for those still held or killed.

Having regained her freedom, Regev is now focusing on living her life fully, pursuing her goals of studying and traveling, and cherishing time with loved ones. "I think that the only thing I wish for myself is to be happy forever and grateful for everything that I have," she said.