Mia Schem, a tattoo artist who became a prominent symbol of the Israeli hostage crisis during the 2023 Gaza conflict, has shared harrowing details of her abduction and captivity three years ago. On October 7, 2023, Schem was attending the Nova festival, an open-air dance party near the Israel-Gaza border, when Hamas militants launched an attack that resulted in the deaths of 378 attendees and the capture of 44 others.

Schem was taken hostage for 55 days, during which she endured severe physical and psychological trauma. She recounted being shot in the arm at close range while attempting to flee with her friend, Elia Toledano, who later died in Gaza. After playing dead to avoid further harm, Schem was captured, transported into Gaza, and held in a family home, where her captor was constantly present. She described enduring mental abuse and deprivation by the captor’s wife, including threats of being forcibly married and sent to tunnels.

The assault at Nova marked one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish civilians in recent history, with over 1,000 lives lost in a coordinated assault that also drew Lebanon and Iran into the wider conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has pledged to bring all those responsible to justice, with military officials reporting that thousands of the attackers have been killed in subsequent operations.

Schem’s ordeal includes fragmented memories and ongoing psychological distress. She revealed witnessing horrific acts, including sexual violence, a matter confirmed to some extent by a United Nations report that cited reasonable grounds to believe incidents of rape and sexual violence, including against the bodies of victims, took place during the attack. She described the difficulty of processing what she endured, with recurring trauma that “possesses” her daily.

Following her release, Schem has faced further challenges. She filed a rape complaint against a personal trainer alleging abuse of trust and sedation with a date-rape drug, though no charges were filed. Preferring solitude, she has struggled to reintegrate into normal social life, yet has engaged in advocacy for hostages, speaking before the United Nations and U.S. officials.

In recent months, Schem has pursued opportunities in modeling and acting, appearing in a musical adaptation of The Lion King. Despite her public presence, she has expressed a continued desire to heal from her experiences and rebuild her life, including hopes of starting a family. Reflecting on the enduring impact of October 7, 2023, she said, “It’s a horror film that I witnessed and I am still there. It’s been three years since October 7 and I cannot get past that day.”