Shelly Shem-Tov has preserved her son’s bedroom just as messy as he left it on the night of Oct. 6 when he went to a music festival near the Gaza Strip. This room has now become a sacred place where she prays every morning, seeking hope for her son’s safe return.
Omer Shem-Tov, at 21 years old, was one of many young adults attending the Supernova Music Festival near Re’im in the Negev Desert on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants from Gaza launched an attack.
The Israeli side was caught off guard by the Oct. 7 attack, resulting in approximately 1,100 casualties. The assault began with rockets fired from Gaza.
“In our country, rockets are unfortunately normal, and we thought it was just another day,” Shelly Shem-Tov shared in an interview with NTD’s Kelly Wright on April 4, nearly six months after the incident.
Initially, Omer assured his parents of his safety, but as the situation worsened, they called him again.
“We spoke with Omer a few times, and the last call was at a quarter to 9 a.m. He was scared and said they were trying to escape in a car,” Mrs. Shelly Shem-Tov recounted.
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When Omer shared his phone’s location as he tried to escape with friends, his parents tracked him until his location moved towards Gaza. Subsequent attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
Later that day, they saw a video released by Hamas showing Omer among hostages, confirming their worst fears that he had been kidnapped.
‘We’re Stuck at October 7’
Approximately 250 people were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack.
While some hostages were released, Omer remains missing in Gaza.
For families awaiting news of the remaining hostages, uncertainty prevails with conflicting reports of their fates.
The Shem-Tov family remains hopeful but faces challenges as time passes.
As global attention wanes from the Oct. 7 incident, the family feels increasingly isolated in their quest for Omer’s return.
Time is Against The Hostages
Mr. Malki Shem-Tov fears the longer it takes to secure a hostage deal, the slimmer the chances of Omer’s safe return.
Initially, there was widespread support for the hostages, but that solidarity has dwindled over time.
Following the Oct. 7 attack, Israeli forces launched retaliatory strikes in Gaza, leading to a prolonged conflict with significant civilian casualties.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 33,000 deaths since the attack.
The health ministry in Gaza, under the control of Hamas, does not clearly differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties amidst the ongoing conflict, making it challenging to verify casualty figures independently.
The Israeli military’s actions in Gaza have come under international scrutiny, with South Africa accusing Israel of genocide before the International Court of Justice. President Joe Biden has also expressed concerns about the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and criticized Israel for not doing enough to protect aid workers following an attack on a humanitarian convoy that resulted in civilian casualties.
Protests within Israel have emerged against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with some criticizing his focus on defeating Hamas over resolving the issue of hostages taken on October 7. Negotiations for the hostages’ release have been complicated, with Israel offering temporary reprieves and Hamas demanding a permanent ceasefire with Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
The family of hostage Omer Shem-Tov continues to hope for his safe return, with his mother, sister, and brother expressing their unwavering faith that he will come home. They share memories of Omer and his aspirations, eagerly awaiting the day they can reunite with him. Despite the challenges and uncertainties, they hold on to hope, believing that “Hope never dies.” Please rephrase this sentence.
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