A video released by Hamas showed a woman who was abducted from a music festival by the terrorist group pleading for help while being held hostage in Gaza.
The woman, identified as 21-year-old Mia Shem, is heard in the clip saying “They are taking care of me, giving me medicine, everything is fine. I only ask that they bring me home as soon as possible to my parents, to my siblings … Get me out of here as soon as possible. Please.” She could also be seen repeatedly looking off to the side, seemingly at one of her captors.
Jack Posobiec hosted former DoD Intel Operative Tony Shaffer on Human Events Daily to analyze the video in which Shem is can be seen undergoing an operation for an injured arm in the first few seconds before cutting to her plea for help in front of a camera.
Jack took note that Shem is “looking over to the side multiple times” at her captors recording the video.
Shaffer agreed that “she's under duress, she's actually being very carefully controlled, instructed what to say or not say, and she is in fear for her life.”
“It's very clear that she feels that there's no options except to basically say exactly what she's saying,” he continued.
"This is something that no family wants to have to face. And this situation is grave,” he added. “I don't put much hope in her return, to be blunt. Because at this point, there's really no incentive for Hamas to do much more than use her for purposes of trying to delay the offensive that's coming.”
On Tuesday, Mia Shem’s mother pleaded to world government officials to ensure her daughter’s safe return at a press conference.
As she held up a photo of her daughter, she stated: “I ask world leaders that my daughter be returned to us in the state that she is today, as well as the other hostages … I am begging the world to return my baby to me.”
She also said that up until the clip was released by Hamas, she did not know if her daughter was alive or dead.
Shaffer reported that the Israelis are typically “willing to negotiate” in regard to hostages. “But again,” he added, “I just don't see any good coming out of this because negotiating with terrorists and giving in to them is what has gotten us here.”
“The terrorists have been successful and grabbing people holding her hostage,” he concluded, “our side's been willing to bend and give them what they want.”
