Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
People File • Hostage

Mia Schem

Mia Schem is a French-Israeli woman who was taken hostage by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attack on the Re'im area near the Nova music festival.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Mia Schem is a French-Israeli woman who was taken hostage by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attack on the Nova music festival. She was released after 54 days in captivity.

Background

Mia Schem is a French-Israeli dual national from Shoham, Israel. She was 21 years old when she was abducted during the Hamas attack on the Re'im area near the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023.

Abduction and captivity

Schem was taken hostage during the attack and later appeared in the first hostage video released by Hamas. She was held in the Gaza Strip for 54 days before her release.

Release and public role

She was released on 30 November 2023 as part of a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal. After her release, she became a prominent public voice in coverage of the hostage crisis, speaking about her captivity and recovery.

In short

  • Abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival area on 7 October 2023.
  • Appeared in the first hostage video released by Hamas.
  • Held in Gaza for 54 days.
  • Released on 30 November 2023 during a temporary ceasefire.
Canadian angle

Canadian readers may know Mia Schem through international coverage of the Israel–Hamas war and the hostage-release negotiations, which received extensive media attention in Canada.

Quick questions

Who is Mia Schem?
Mia Schem is a French-Israeli woman who was abducted by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attack on the Nova music festival area and later released from captivity in Gaza.
What happened to Mia Schem?
She was taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October 2023, held in Gaza for 54 days, and released on 30 November 2023 during a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal.
Is Mia Schem still alive?
Yes. She was released alive on 30 November 2023 and has since appeared publicly in media coverage.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Mia_Schem
    Supports: Abduction date, hostage context, release date, age at abduction, and duration of captivity.
  2. The Times of Israel — https://www.timesofisrael.com/freed-hostage-mia-schem-i-experienced-hell-everyone-in-gaza-is-a-terrorist/
    Supports: French-Israeli identity, abduction from the music festival, release date, and duration in captivity.
  3. NBC Washington — https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/israeli-french-hostage-recounts-harrowing-experience-in-captivity/3505117/
    Supports: Age at the time, captivity in Gaza, and release on 30 November 2023.
  4. The New York Times — https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/world/middleeast/hostage-israel-hamas-gaza.html
    Supports: Abduction during the October 7 attacks, origin from Shoham, and captivity context.