The heartbroken mother of abducted Israeli Mia Schem said she is ‘begging the world to bring my baby back home’ after Hamas terrorists paraded her in a disturbing hostage video.
Keren Schem, whose daughter is a French and Israeli citizen, appealed for her child and all the other 199 hostages taken on October 7 to be returned home.
She said the 21-year-old, who was shot at and then abducted while at the Nova Festival near the Israeli border, ‘only went to a party, to a festival party to have some fun… and now she’s in Gaza.’
Video released by her family shows Mia, who her mum has described as a ‘warrior’, dancing and smiling as she enjoyed happier times with friends.
The youngster was doing just that when her family lost contact with her, with her ominous final message to a fellow festivalgoer reading: ‘They’re shooting at us. Please, come save us!’
Keren Schem appealed for her daughter and all the other 199 hostages taken on October 7 to be returned home.
Video released by her family shows Mia dancing and smiling as she enjoyed happier times with friends
The 21-year-old is a French and Israeli citizen and was described by her mother as ‘creative’ and ‘mature’. Pictured in a TikTok video
At a press conference today, Keren called for the world to come together to stop Hamas, who she said had committed a ‘crime against humanity’.
‘There are many children who went to this party, many babies, children, old people and Holocaust survivors that were kidnapped, their houses were burned,’ she said.
‘This is a crime against humanity and we should all gather and stop this terror and bring everybody back home.’
Keren said she spent hours calling her daughter’s phone after she went missing from the Nova Festival near Sderot, which was stormed by gunmen who killed at least 260 people and took many hostage on October 7.
Also speaking on Tuesday, Mia’s brother said the family wants only one thing, for his sister ‘and all the other hostages who are captured on the Gaza Strip, to bring them back home’.
‘Mia is an innocent child who just wanted to go to a party with her friends, and ended up kidnapped and taken away from home.’
Keren didn’t know if her daughter was alive or dead for over a week, before the chilling footage of her captive daughter was released from Gaza last night.
Speaking to the camera in Hebrew, the young woman asks for Hamas to release her and let her go home
The 21-year-old was one of dozens of people kidnapped by Hamas when they targeted the Nova festival on October 7
Keren didn’t know if her daughter was alive or dead until Hamas released the footage of her daughter
Keren was supported at the press conference in Tel Aviv by former head of the Israeli security agency Shin Bet, Yaakov Peri
The video, which was published on the group’s official Telegram channel, shows the young woman speaking Hebrew as she addresses the camera directly.
She says she is from central Israel and that her captors are taking care of her.
In a heartbreaking message to the Israeli government, she says: ‘I only ask that you get me out of here as soon as possible. Please.’
MailOnline has decided to publish one still image from the video after the 21-year-old’s family gave media organisations permission to do so.
It is the first footage released by Hamas of a hostage purportedly speaking from captivity, with the caption saying she was abducted on October 7.
‘There was a rumour saying that she was wounded in the shoulder or the leg. She was wounded in the hand. She was operated on,’ Keren said.
She added of the footage: ‘She looks terrified. She says what they tell her to say. I’m really worried about her.’
Mia Schem, 21, was taken by Hamas terrorists from the Nova festival on October 7
Mia has been seen laughing with friends and family in new footage shared online by relatives
In the footage Ms Schem can be seen saying she is being cared for while footage shows her receiving treatment for an injury to her arm
The festival Mia was attending was one of the first places to be targeted by Hamas when the terrorist group launched its surprise attack across the Gaza border 10 days ago
Keren only found out her daughter had been kidnapped, and was not among the many hundreds of Israelis slaughtered by Hamas, on October 14.
‘I was so happy, it is so pathetic,’ she told France24. ‘I was happy to hear that my baby is [being held captive by] the worst enemy in the world. I mean, God knows what she’s going through.’
Keren, a single mother-of-four, also told how her eldest daughter would always help her out at home, describing her as ‘my best friend’.
‘She has a mind of a 50-year-old woman, not a 20-year-old girl. She’s so mature and she’s a real warrior,’ she said.
Keren Schem and her family speak to the press about her daughter Mia, who was seen in a Hamas hostage video
Mia’s brother said the family wants only one thing, for his sister ‘and all the other hostages who are captured on the Gaza Strip, to bring them back home’
‘I ask world leaders that my daughter be returned to us in the state that she is today, as well as the other hostages,’ Keren Schem told a press conference in Tel Aviv
‘I know that she is there with other people in Gaza, and I’m sure that she is taking care of them.’
The festival Mia was attending was one of the first places to be targeted by Hamas when the terrorist group launched its surprise attack across the Gaza border 10 days ago.
Hundreds of revelers, who had been at the dance festival in the desert, were horrifically gunned down by Hamas, with others being kidnapped and taken back to Gaza as hostages.
In footage of one such kidnapping, Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old student, was seen begging for her life on the back of a Hamas terrorist’s motorcycle.
She was seen screaming ‘Don’t kill me! No, no, no’ – but the gunman speeds off. Noa hasn’t been seen since.
Her boyfriend, Avi Nathan, distraught and helpless, was left behind in the desert. He too is missing.
Noa’s grief-stricken father Yaacov gave an interview to Israeli television on Sunday after the attack.
He said: ‘I was hoping this is a mistake that it’s not true. And then in the hospital a guy asked me if I wanted to see. I said yes and then I know for sure it is Noa… she was so petrified, so scared.’
He then began to uncontrollably sob. ‘I was always so protective but in this moment I couldn’t protect her,’ he told Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 News.
‘All my life since she was born I have tried to protect and hug her, support and love her. I wish I could at this difficult moment at least encourage her or say something to her.’
The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that at least 199 hostages were taken back in Gaza, higher than previous estimates.
Noa’s father Yaacov gave an interview to Israeli television on Sunday after the attack and wept uncontrollably as he spoke about his daughter
The parents of Noa Argamani, who was kidnapped at the Israeli festival massacre, has sent a 26th birthday message to their daughter in the ‘hope that it will reach her’
More than 1,400 people are known to have been killed by the terrorist attacks from Hamas on October 7 which has since been followed by thousands of deaths in Gaza in retaliatory Israeli air strikes.
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been massing in preparation for a ground invasion of the Palestinian territory, but this was postponed at the last minute over the weekend amid suggestions they had received new intelligence about hostages taken by Hamas.
Aaron Cohen, a former Israeli special operator, told Fox News on Sunday that claims the invasion had been postponed due to bad weather may not be the real or full reason.
A bogus delay of the invasion may have offered the IDF extra time to save hostages, which is a top priority for the Israeli army and government.
‘You’re about to see Israel [do] what it does best: rescue good people. So stand by,’ he said.
The delay has also provided Gazans extra time to flee to the southern part of the region, though it has become clear that Hamas are blocking the Palestinians’ ability to move to safety.
Rishi Sunak confirmed on Monday that six Britons were killed in the attacks by Hamas last week, while another 10 are missing, some of whom are feared dead.
Among the missing are two teenage British sisters who have not been heard from since Hamas attacked the community where they were staying.
Noiya, aged 16, and Yahel, aged 13, along with their father Eli are missing after the terror group targeted Kibbutz Be’eri in its cross-border attack on October 7.
Yahel, aged 13 (left), and Noiya, aged 16 (right), are feared to have been kidnapped by Hamas in last week’s attack
Yahel (left) and Noiya (right) have not been heard from since the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Their mother Lianne (centre) was killed in the terrorist assault
Their mother Lianne, who is British and was born in Bristol, was tragically killed by the terrorists, with fears that the girls have been taken into Gaza by Hamas to be used as hostages.
In a tribute, British family members said Lianne was a ‘beloved daughter, sister, mother, aunt and friend who enriched the lives of all those lucky enough to have known and loved her’.
‘She lived a beautiful life and will be sorely missed by the heartbroken family and friends she leaves behind.’
While it is now ten days since the terror group stormed into Israel from Gaza, details are still emerging about the horrific rampage and of its many victims.
Gina Semiatich, a 90-year-old Czech-born Holocaust survivor, was tragically murdered in her home at Kibbutz Kissufim, less than two miles from the Gaza border. Eitan Kaptisher was celebrating his fifth birthday when he was killed by Hamas gunmen.
According to reports in Israel, Semiatich was dragged from her home shelter by the terrorists and shot in the head in her living room.
Gina Semiatich, a 90-year-old Czech-born Holocaust survivor, was tragically murdered in her home at Kibbutz Kissufim, less than two miles from the Gaza border
Another tragic victim of the attacks has been revealed to be a boy named Eitan, who according to Israel’s official account on X (formerly Twitter), was celebrating his fifth birthday when he was killed by Hamas gunmen. ‘Instead of celebrating his birthday, his parents will mourn their child’s death on the day he was born for the rest of their lives,’ the account said, along with two pictures: one of the youngster wearing a Spiderman costume, and another of his grave (right)
‘We had spoken to her just seconds before; she told us she was hiding in the shelter, scared,’ her grandson said in the aftermath of the attack.
Speaking to Haaretz, Shmulik Harel said ‘Dozens of terrorists entered Kisufi and broke into houses’ in the Kibbutz, home to fewer than 300 people.
‘From outside they called ‘IDF, IDF (Israel Defense Forces)’ so that we felt safe and could come out. But the majority of residents suspected that something was wrong.’
He told the Israeli newspaper that he was on the phone with Semiatich just moments before the Hamas terrorists broke into her home. Once inside, they dragged her out of her shelter and executed her on her living room floor.
According to Israel’s official account on X (formerly Twitter), Eitan Kaptisher was celebrating his fifth birthday when he was killed by Hamas gunmen.
‘Instead of celebrating his birthday, his parents will mourn their child’s death on the day he was born for the rest of their lives,’ the account said, along with two pictures: one of the youngster wearing a Spiderman costume, and another of his grave.
‘May the memory of Eitan Kaptisher be a blessing,’ the post said.
