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Nova Festival Survivor Recounts Hamas Captivity
19 Jul
Summary
- Mia Schem was shot and abducted during the Nova music festival attack.
- She endured 55 days of captivity in Gaza before her release.
- The festival survivor now shares her harrowing experience at exhibitions worldwide.
On October 7, 2023, Mia Schem's attendance at the Nova music festival near the Israel-Gaza border turned into a nightmare. Amidst rocket fire, she and her friend Elia Toledano attempted to flee, only to encounter Hamas militants. Their car was shot, and after escaping, Schem was shot in the arm by a terrorist.
Schem and Toledano were abducted and taken into Gaza. Schem endured 55 days of captivity, describing her treatment as being like 'an animal in a cage.' She recounts the psychological torment and the struggle for basic necessities. Tragically, her friend Elia Toledano's body was later recovered from Gaza, with a high probability of death from an Israeli airstrike.
Following her release during a temporary truce, Schem has traveled from her home near Tel Aviv to London. She is speaking at the Nova Exhibition, an event recreating the festival's carnage with wreckage from Israel. The exhibition aims to share the stories of survivors and victims globally, having already visited New York and planning future stops in Paris, Budapest, and Prague.
