The mother of Mia Schem, a French-Israeli tattoo artist who appeared in the first video released by Hamas of its hostages in Gaza, said she “screamed and fell to the ground” when she first saw confirmation her daughter was alive.
Keren Schem issued an impassioned plea “begging” the international community for help to bring her daughter home.
Ms Schem, 21, was attending the Supernova music festival with a close friend near the border with Gaza, when they both went missing 10 days ago.
She sent her message to her mother at 7.30am saying “they are shooting at us”. Hamas militants attacked the rave, killing hundreds of people and taking several hostage, witnesses have told The Independent.
Ms Schem’s family had no idea of her fate until she appeared in a video released by Hamas on Monday afternoon. It marked the first time the militant group, that rules Gaza, have released any footage of the estimated 199 people, including British citizens, who were taken to Gaza.
The 60-second clip opens with Ms Schem, 21, receiving medical treatment for a wound in her right arm. It shows a person off camera wrapping the wound with bandages, around anexternal fixators, implying broken bones. As air strikes sound in the back ground, she confirms she is in Gaza and that she had been operated on.
She finishes the clip with a plea to return home. Mrs Schem described a “roller coaster” of emotions when she first saw her “baby on TV” as prior to the release of the video, the family did not know if she was alive or dead.
“I started to shout, I fell on the floor and screamed. I didn’t really know what [I was] seeing, I saw my baby. And then we started to sing, to cry, to be happy that she is alive.
“Then I felt scared,” Mrs Schem said, appearing visibly shaken as she clutched a photo of Mia.
“I can see she was shot in her shoulder. I see she had an operation. She looks very terrified, she looks like she is in a big pain. And I can see that she is saying what they tell her say.
“I am begging the world to bring my baby back home, she only went to a party to a festival party to have some fun. And now she is in Gaza.”
Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell has said Britain is doing ‘everything’ possible to save the British hostages being held by Hamas (Ariel Schalit/AP)
(AP)
Mia is among at least 199 people taken hostage by militant groups in Gaza after they launched an unprecedented air, land and sea attack on south Israel 10 days ago, breaking through the border fence and raiding villages and this music festival.
Hundreds were killed and dozens taken hostage, including children and the elderly – with some appearing in chilling videos being dragged to Gaza.
Among them are believed to be 10 British citizens. On Tuesday the BBC reported that a British teenager who was missing from the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri (near to where Mia Schem was taken) were among those murdered in the 7 October attack.
Yahel, 13, was killed along with her mother, Lianne. However her elder sister, Noiya, 16, and her father, Eli, are still missing, the BBC said.
British Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said the Government is “extremely concerned” about British hostages and “we pray that they are alive”.
The Israeli military confirmed on Monday at least 199 hostages were taken in total, more than previously estimated.Hamas said it was holding 200 to 250 hostages – and that a total of 22 have been killed in Israeli airstrikes that are pounding the tiny besieged strip.
Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht told The Independent that the information that 22 have been killed is “Psyops [Psychological operations] of Hamas and is not confirmed in any way.”
Families of those held hostage are concerned for their wellbeing as Israel has launched the heaviest attacks ever recorded on Gaza.
Mrs Schem said she is concerned for her daughter who had a pre-existing medical condition, and is wounded, amid reports of an imminent ground invasion.
“My daughter is a fighter, she is a warrior, she has been through a lot in her life. My message to my daughter is I love her so much, and I miss her so much, all these days I think how I will hug her when she is coming home.
“I want to tell all the other parents, you must think positive.”
The family begged for help bringing back the hostages, who include “babies, children, old people and Holocaust survivors.
“This is a crime against humanity and we should all gather and stop this terror and bring everybody back home. “
Ilay Schem, Mia’s brother also implored for help.“She is an innocent child that she went to a party with her friends and ended up kidnapped and taken away from home. We want to bring her back.”
