"Freed Israeli Hostage Mia Schem Recounts Harrowing Ordeal in Gaza Captivity"

Mia Schem, a 21-year-old Israeli-French dual citizen, recounted her harrowing experience as a hostage of Hamas following her abduction during a music festival raid in southern Israel. She lived in constant fear of sexual assault and was subjected to inappropriate touching by her captor, who refrained from raping her due to his family's proximity. Schem was held captive for 54 days, during which she faced psychological torment, starvation, and a lack of medical care. Her ordeal included being operated on without anesthesia and being taunted by the captor's children. Schem's story highlights the broader issue of sexual violence and the mistreatment of hostages during the Hamas incursion into southern Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths.