Omer Shem Tov

Omer Shem Tov is a former Israeli hostage who was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and held captive in Gaza for 505 days. His ordeal, including the abuse he suffered and his refusal to cooperate with captors’ demands to harm others, was widely reported in major news outlets and made him a symbol of the ongoing hostage crisis and its impact on Israeli society. Just after he was kidnapped, Shem Tov's parents were among the founding members who formed the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. His uncle traveled to the Red Cross headquarters in Geneva to petition for medical assistance for him. Following his release in February 2025, Shem Tov traveled internationally to advocate for the release of remaining hostages, appeared and spoke at public events, and met with political figures.

Background

Shem Tov grew up in a largely secular home in which he was not particularly religiously observant, but he described himself as always having had faith. At seven, he attended a rally for the release of Gilad Shalit, who was held by Hamas for five years before being released in a prisoner swap in 2011. His family described him as loving and outgoing. Shem Tov completed his compulsory military service in 2023. At the time of his abduction, he held a job waiting tables in a steakhouse in Tel Aviv to earn money for a planned trip to South America. He also worked as a DJ and organizer for musical events. His bedroom decor reflected his musical tastes, with a rap album poster and his guitar.

Kidnapping on October 7, 2023

Shem Tov was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his friends, siblings Maya and Itay Regev. Hearing gunshots, they tried to flee on foot, but Shem Tov was shoved to the ground and bound with his hands behind his back. Ori Danino, whom they had met the night before, fled and came back with a car. While trying to flee to safety, they were blocked by Hamas pickup trucks and fired upon. Itay and Maya took bullet wounds in their legs. Shem Tov and the Regev siblings were loaded onto a pickup truck amid shouts of “Allahu Akbar”. They were driven to a small storage unit in Gaza, and Shem Tov was taken underground. Danino was later killed.

Captivity

Maya and Itai Regev were released in the November 2023 weeklong truce-hostage deal, and Shem Tov was held alone. One of his captors was a doctor who provided Shem Tov with an inhaler for his asthma. He was not allowed to cough out loud or make noise. He was held largely in darkness. Shem Tov said his captors cursed and spat on him. He stated they threatened to shoot him in the head if he would not help collapse a booby-trapped building on IDF troops, but he answered "Then shoot me in the head. I have no intention of doing it.” Shem Tov said he found favor with his captors by cooking and cleaning for them.

Shem Tov said he made the Kiddush blessing on half a bottle of grape juice that lasted five months without spoiling, echoing the story of Chanukah, in which a single flask of oil lasted eight days.

Shem Tov said he picked up one of his captors' weapons while they slept and considered shooting them, but got cold feet, fearing that the gun would jam. Shem Tov was initially given two pitas a day, despite having celiac disease. Later, he was fed only a biscuit and a small amount of salty water for much of his captivity. Just before his release, his captors gave him chocolate, chicken and rice. According to his father, he had lost 17 kilograms (37 pounds).

Release

Shem Tov was released on February 22, 2025 along with Tal Shoham, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Shem Tov learned of his impending release from an announcement on television. Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed were released separately on the same day. At the release ceremony, Shem Tov was instructed to kiss the Hamas cameraman on the head. Though hesitant, he carried out the instruction and was freed to the Red Cross, who transported him back to Israel. While being airlifted by helicopter, he wrote on a white board, “Now everything is OK! Thank you to the dear people of Israel, and to all the soldiers! I want a hamburger". He appeared "elated" when he reunited with his parents at a reception center inside Israel.

Post-release activities

Shem Tov and his mother Shelly were greeted by Israeli President Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem. Nine days after his release, Shem Tov flew to Washington D.C. to meet President Trump in the Oval Office, along with freed hostages Eli Sharabi, Doron Steinbrecher, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Iair Horn and Noa Argamani.

Shem Tov's favorite footballer, Norwegian star Erling Haaland, called Shem Tov as a goodwill gesture. Musician Orian Shukron composed a song for him. In May 2025, Shem Tov threw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park on Jewish Heritage Night, at the series opener against the New York Mets. Shem Tov's sneakers had “BRING THEM HOME NOW” emblazoned on the side. He wore a Red Sox jersey with a yellow ribbon to commemorate his 58 fellow hostages who were still trapped in Gaza. Shem Tov removed his own hostage poster at Dancers' Square in his hometown of Herzliya, at the weekly rally for the hostages' return, together with Maya and Itay Regev. He took on additional forms of Jewish observance while in captivity and after returning home, as did his mother. Coincidentally, both Shem Tov and Shelly were given copies of Psalm 20 during his captivity, Omer by his captors and Shelly by a group supporting hostages' families.

The Associated Press described Shem Tov's "newfound celebrity" as "unsought and at times unsettling".

References

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External links

Shem Tov describes his experiences in captivity
CNN, May 2025

Hostage taking in Israel
Gaza war
Hostages and abductees in the October 7 massacre
Living people

Year of birth missing (living people)

Formerly missing Israeli people
Mass kidnappings in the 2020s