In a special interview with journalist Lital Shemesh, former Hamas hostage Omer Shem Tov described how his faith sustained him during captivity. 'When I was in the darkest place there is, I told God that I am in His hands,' Shem Tov said. 'That was the moment I started to see the light. I understood my body is just a vessel, my soul is free.'
Former hostage Omer Shem Tov, abducted from the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023, and held in Gaza for months before his release in a prisoner exchange, has given a new interview released Sunday. Speaking to journalist Lital Shemesh, Shem Tov described the spiritual resilience that helped him survive the extreme psychological pressures of captivity. 'I understood my body is just a vessel, my soul is free,' he said, framing his ordeal as a test of inner faith. The Zioneer previously reported on Shem Tov's first interview as a free man, in which he described looking 'at hell and found the light.' The current interview echoes those themes, reinforcing the narrative of endurance through belief. The full interview was published via Shemesh's social media channels.
3 developments
- DevelopingManchester City star Haaland calls former hostage Omer Shem Tov
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky recalls first moments after rescue: 'Just wanted to see the sky'
- StrongFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky: I found faith in Gaza and will keep Shabbat for life
- StrongPresident Herzog addresses kidnapped survivor's testimony on Hamas sexual violence
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Open-source intake