Made Kiddush in Hamas captivity and forced to disguise as a Muslim woman, Omer Shem Tov recounts his captivity

The terrorists also forced Omar to disguise himself as a Muslim woman when moving between hiding places in the Gaza Strip. His family is overwhelmed with emotion, expressing their gratitude: "Thank you to the Creator, to the people of Israel for their prayers, and to the soldiers who sacrificed" (News, Israel).

Omar Shem Tov, who survived sixteen months in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, was freed today (Saturday) and returned to his overjoyed family.

In his first testimony, published by 'HaHadashot' (The News), Omar recounted: "I was alone in captivity since the 50th day. At first, I was with Itai Regev, but after Itai was released, I remained alone. I was constantly in tunnels. Occasionally, I was exposed to media, I watched Al Jazeera, and that gave me strength."

The details revealed indicate that Omar lost 17 kilograms due to malnutrition during his captivity. Additionally, Omar was moved between apartments and tunnels, where the terrorists forced him to dress as a Muslim woman when transitioning between hiding locations.

For some of the time, he was bound by his hands and subjected to verbal abuse and spitting. It was also reported in 'HaHadashot' that Omar tried to maintain tradition and occasionally performed Kiddush (the Jewish blessing over wine) with the little food he had during captivity.

Omar’s family shared the following after his release: "Our Omar is home after 505 days of suffering and nightmares. Our son, our brother, who became a child of the State of Israel since October 7th, has come home despite the medical challenges. We still don’t know everything—the full stories, the horror stories, we’ll only discover them with time. But now, we can hug him again. 'Thank you to the Creator, to the people of Israel for their prayers, strength, and love. Thank you to the soldiers who sacrificed for this moment, to everyone who worked in negotiations and diplomatic efforts. Thank you to Omar's family and friends, who never gave up and never lost hope.'"

The family also vowed to continue the fight for the return of all hostages and the demand for justice for those still missing: "We will continue to fight together with all the families and the Hostage Families Headquarters – our lifeline from the very beginning – until every hostage is home, whether for rehabilitation or a proper burial," they said. "Therefore, we say, 'Just a little more, just a little longer.' These are days of mourning and hope, our lives intertwined until everyone returns."