Mia Schem Marks Three Years Since October 7 With Emotional Tribute
Three years after October 7, former Hamas hostage Mia Schem shared a touching tribute on Instagram, thanking IDF soldiers for her return while mourning those who perished and remain in captivity.
Three years have passed since the October 7 massacre, and Mia Schem, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival and held hostage by Hamas for 54 days, shared a personal message this morning marking the painful day. In an Instagram story, Schem thanked those who enabled her and many others to return home, while also remembering those who did not survive.
Remembering the Fallen and the Rescued
"Amidst all the pain of this day, I do not forget for a moment who I owe the right to be here," Schem wrote. She continued, "To the soldiers of the IDF, the security forces, everyone who fought, risked their lives, and left behind a home and family so that we could return. I have no words to express my gratitude."
She also addressed the heavy toll of the war and the bereaved families:
Alongside this gratitude, there is endless pain. For those who did not get to return. For those who went out to save others and did not come back themselves. For the families left with an empty chair, with an unanswered yearning, and with lives divided into before and after.
The Road to Recovery
Schem concluded by stating: "I returned. But every day I carry with me those who did not. Sorry we couldn't bring everyone back. Sorry to everyone who fell along the way. And thank you to those thanks to whom I can stand today on the soil of my land and say, I am home. We must never forget the price paid for us to be here."
Schem was abducted from the Nova music festival on the morning of October 7, wounded in the arm by gunfire. Days later, she appeared in a Hamas propaganda video from captivity receiving medical treatment for her injury. During her captivity, she underwent arm surgery under harsh conditions and without sufficient anesthesia. After 54 days, she was released as part of the hostage deal in November 2023 and returned to Israel.
Upon her return, Schem underwent additional medical procedures and a prolonged rehabilitation process to restore the function of her arm. Since then, she frequently shares her testimony about the moments of her abduction, the period in captivity, and coping with life after returning home.
