Horrifying Testimony from Hamas Captive Maya Shem Reveals Ongoing Trauma

Disturbing Details of Captivity

Maya Shem, a survivor of Hamas captivity, shared her harrowing experiences during a speech at the Hostages’ Square, shedding light on the atrocities she endured during her 55-day ordeal in Gaza. Shem was abducted from a Nova party after she was shot and recounted the terror she faced at the hands of her captors.

In her poignant address, Shem detailed a particularly brutal incident where her captors dragged her by her hair into their vehicle, causing her to fear for her scalp. “I was terrified that my scalp would be torn from the pain,” she recalled. The nightmare intensified when the Hamas militants attempted to film her for a “proof of life” video. Faced with the reality of her tangled, bloodied, and dirty hair, start of her captors approached with scissors to cut her hair. Shem fiercely resisted, stating, “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my hair… I am already a captive in your hands, do not take this from me. My identity, my self.”

Ongoing Psychological Impact

Shem also revealed that she has faced additional trauma even after her release, particularly when she was required to undergo a medical examination related to an assault complaint she filed. For this examination, she was asked to cut a portion of her long hair to test for a possible date-rape drug. “This task, meant to assist me, triggered a visceral fear,” Shem described. “I could not agree to have any part of my hair cut down to the scalp. In an instant, I was thrown back to my days in captivity, confronted by the monsters who sought to cut my hair.”

While she did not elaborate on the circumstances of her assault reported in Israel post-release, she expressed that her body reacts with indescribable distress whenever she encounters triggers related to her trauma.

Call for Continued Advocacy

Beginning her speech by mentioning the surprising release of Eden Alexander, who was recently freed from Hamas custody, Shem stated, “Eden has returned to his mother, but he does not yet understand what I have come to realize: A new chapter is beginning.” She emphasized that healing will not be complete until all hostages are returned, noting that the process will be fraught with emotional and physical triggers that serve as reminders of their horrific experiences.

Shem stressed that anxiety attacks are an inevitable part of the lives of former captives due to the horrors they endured. “Each additional day our brothers suffer the emotional and physical torment at the hands of Hamas will further amplify the challenge of healing and piecing together our shattered lives,” she warned.

At the conclusion of her address, Shem implored the audience and the nation to persist in their fight for the return of all hostages, stating, “I urge you to continue fighting with all your might for the return of all hostages-both the living and the fallen. We will not have a right to exist here without the belief that the state will do everything possible to bring us home in times of distress.