Hamas Releases First Video Of A Female Hostage Abducted From Music Fest

Militant group Hamas released a video on Monday of a 21-year-old woman who was taken hostage after the group's October 7 attacks on Israel.

The short video clip shows the woman, named Mia Schem, lying on a bed as someone puts a bandage on her right arm. Schem, a French-Israeli woman, is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

In the video, the woman looks visibly distressed as she pleads to be returned home to her family. She says that she is from Sderot, a small Israeli city near the Gaza border, and was attending the Supernova Sukkot Music Festival on Kibbutz Re'im when Hamas launched their attack on Israel.

"They're caring for me, they're treating me, they're giving me medication. Everything is okay," she says. "I'm only asking to be returned home as soon as possible, to my family, to my parents, to my siblings. Please get us out of here as soon as possible."

An estimated 260 people died after Hamas militants launched an attack on thousands of revellers at the music festival near the Gaza Strip. Several videos of the horrific attack made it to social media, wherein people could be seen running to save their lives.

Israel Defense Forces, in a post on X, confirmed that Schem was abducted last week and that authorities have reached out to her family.

"At this time, we are deploying all intelligence and operational measures for the return of all hostages, including Mia," the IDF said in the statement.

Meanwhile, Schem's mother has urged world leaders to help her bring her daughter home. "I am begging the world to bring my baby back home; she only went to a festival party to have some fun and now she is in Gaza and she is not the only one," she told the reporters on Tuesday in Tel Aviv.

There is still no clarity on how many people have been taken hostage by Hamas. However, a spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has claimed that they have at least 200–250 people with them.

The spokesperson, Abu Obaida, said that he cannot determine the exact number of hostages in Gaza due to the constant Israeli bombardments.

He further stated that as many as 22 hostages were killed by Israeli airstrikes, per a report on CNN. Obaida also claimed that the group is "committed to protecting the hostages and will release them when "the opportunity arises on the ground".

After the unprecedented attack from Hamas, a pro-Palestinian militant organisation that has dominated Gaza since 2005, Israel formally declared war on Gaza and warned Palestinians to evacuate the area.

The latest violent conflict between Israel and Hamas has been going on for twelve days now. The Israeli Defense Force has claimed that they have recaptured Gaza border areas from Hamas.

According to a United Nations report, a "staggering" 4,200 people have been killed and more than a million have been displaced in Israel and the Gaza Strip.

"The death toll includes a large number of women and children, as well as at least 11 Palestinian journalists, 28 medical staff and 14 UN colleagues," read an excerpt from the statement.

The death toll has surpassed that of the third war between Israel and Hamas in 2014. It is the deadliest war for Israel since the 1973 conflict with Egypt and Syria.

The war began after Hamas launched an unprecedented coordinated attack on Israel. It attacked Israel with a barrage of some 2,000–5,000 missiles on October 7.

In retaliation for the Hamas attacks, Israel's prime minister declared war against the militant outfit. Gaza is under a "complete" siege since Israel has cut off its water, fuel, and electricity supplies.

There have been fears that the Israel-Hamas conflict might spread as Israeli troops prepare to launch a ground offensive into Gaza. The IDF has been preparing for a ground operation into the Gaza Strip since last week.