Former Hostage Mia Schem Recounts Hamas Brutality, Critiques Global Response

Mia Schem, a 24-year-old former Hamas hostage, has detailed the profound physical and psychological scars she endured during her 55 days in captivity following the October 7 attacks. Schem described being shot at point-blank range during her abduction from the Nova music festival, an injury that left her left arm permanently damaged and shorter than her right. She told the Daily Mail that she nearly bled to death, losing an estimated five liters of blood, and recounted being operated on in Gaza without anesthesia.

"It’s a miracle that I’m alive," Schem stated, describing the moment she picked up her own nearly severed arm. "My arm was almost completely disconnected. Only a small part of it was still attached to my body. I picked up my own arm from the floor and carried it with me. I screamed. I still cannot get my head around it."

Schem was the first hostage featured in a Hamas propaganda video released on October 16, footage widely condemned as psychological warfare. She was released on November 30, 2023. Three years on from the attack, she is beginning to process the trauma, though some aspects remain incredibly difficult to discuss, particularly the loss of her best friend, Elia Toledano, who was killed at the festival.

Captivity and Witnessed Cruelty

Schem described being dragged by her hair and forced into a car with seven Hamas terrorists. During her captivity, she says she was locked inside a cage in a tunnel approximately 60 meters underground. She reported that civilians in Gaza, including children, were indoctrinated from a young age to hate Israelis and glorify death. "Everyone—even the children. I saw it with my own eyes. They teach their children from the very beginning to hate, to become terrorists and to glorify death," she said.

She recounted experiencing cruelty not only from her captors but also from the wife of the man holding her captive, who was reportedly jealous and withheld food and water. Children of the captor would also taunt her. "They would tease me with food: 'Do you want food?' Then they would not give it to me. They treated me like an animal in a cage," Schem recalled.

She also spoke of encountering five other young Israeli women in the tunnels, but found their despair difficult to bear. "When I was released back to Israel, my body finally let go," she said. "I had been holding everything under such tight control. When I let go of that control, my body started having seizures."

Criticism of Global Response

Schem expressed frustration with what she perceives as a lack of understanding regarding the October 7 attacks and the subsequent conflict. She described the widespread pro-Palestine sentiment as a "sheep" mentality, where individuals follow narratives without grasping the reality of the events.

"People around the world really don’t understand the truth. What I saw was horrifying," she said. "But what I saw in Gaza, even among the little children, shocked me."

Her disappointment extended to public figures, including rapper Drake. Schem, a former fan who had received merchandise from his brand, was shocked by a song he previewed that included the lyric "we pray for Gaza." She noted that few artists had been vocal about the hostages and the October 7 attack.

"I loved him very much," she said of Drake. "He even gave me a sweater, a jacket from his brand. But I was shocked by the song he released about Gaza."

Resilience and Future Hopes

Despite the immense trauma, Schem is focused on her recovery and future. She believes her survival was divinely ordained and is determined not to let her past dictate her life. "I don’t want to spend my life being sad, constantly reminding myself of what happened just to feel sad again," she stated. Her aspirations include getting married, building a home in Israel, and starting a family.

"Having children is my biggest dream," Schem said. "I don’t have a boyfriend. I think I will only be able to open my heart to somebody else when I am in a good place within myself. Right now, that is a process."