‘Bring my baby back home’: Mother of woman seen in Hamas hostage video pleads for help

World

The mother of a young woman who was kidnapped by Hamas and seen in a hostage video released by the group has appealed for help, saying: “Bring my baby back home”.

Mia Shem was abducted by the militants on 7 October while attending a rave in Israel.

A video of the 21-year-old was released by Hamas on Monday, showing her receiving apparent medical attention for an injury to her upper right arm.

Follow live: Iran warns Israel it faces ‘pre-emptive action in coming hours’

In the footage, Mia said: “Everything is alright. All I want is to go home as soon as possible.”

Speaking during a news conference in Tel Aviv, her mother Keren Sharf Shem told reporters: “I didn’t know if she’s dead or alive until yesterday, all I knew is she might be kidnapped.

“Yesterday I saw my baby on television. I saw she’s alive … I can see she was shot in the shoulder.”

Ms Shem said her daughter “looks like she is terrified” in the footage, adding: “She looks like she is in big pain.”

It was not clear when the video was filmed.

Holding up a photo of her daughter and fighting back tears, she added: “I’m begging the world to bring my baby back home.

“She only went to a party, a festival party to have some fun. And now she’s in Gaza.”

When asked by Sky News if she had a message for her daughter, Ms Shem said: “My message to my daughter is I love her so much and I miss her so much.

“And all these days I’ve just thought how I [will be] hugging her when she’s coming home and that’s what’s kept me strong and focused.”

She added: “Maybe that’s why she’s okay, I want to tell all the other parents, think positive.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Articles You May Like

Binance co-founder Zhao set to keep on growing his $33 billion fortune even as he heads to prison for four months
The protests at US universities are about much more than Gaza and Israel
Boy, 14, killed in sword attack attended same school as Nottingham stabbing victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar
World’s first hydrogen station for commercial trucks opens – is it too late?
Man charged with murder after boy, 14, killed in sword rampage