Former hostage Omer Shem Tov realized he had to connect with his Hamas captors if he was going to survive his time in captivity, his parents told N12 in their first interview since their son's release.
Shem Tov was held in captivity for 505 days since he was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and was released a week and a half ago.
Shem Tov's parents, Malki and Shelly, told N12 that his loneliness during his immense period in captivity was what saved him due to trying to identify with the terrorists holding him hostage.
"The terrorists would tell him that we weren't fighting for him, he heard that Ben-Gvir had thwarted hostage deals," they said.
However, Omer's father, Malki, said that in the week since his son returned, "the smile hasn't left our faces." Shelley said that she didn't sleep the first night of her son's return, telling N12 that she "sat in a chair next to his bed and held his hand, and just watched him breathe all night.
Shem Tov was held captive alongside Itay Regev, who was released in November 2023 in the first hostage deal. Shelly noted that after Regev was released, "Omer was alone with his captors for 450 days."
Omer Shem Tov's first weeks as a hostage
Malki and Shelly described Shem Tov's first weeks of captivity, with terrorists taking him to a very small and cramped tunnel for up to 50 days. He couldn't even stand in it or straighten his arms to the sides while in complete darkness.
He said there was a moment when he thought he was completely blind," his parents added, while noting that he was given very little food daily - a pita, or half a pita.
Before her son's release, Shelly pleaded with world leaders to pressure Hamas into signing a deal to free the remaining hostages.
They added that their son was eventually transferred to a more spacious tunnel, where he spent the next 400 days until his release.
Shem Tov was only released from the Rabin Medical Center last Saturday evening. He suffers from asthma and celiac disease.
Medical officials were concerned about his condition while being held in captivity, as he suffers from both asthma and celiac disease, the latter being an autoimmune disorder caused by a genetic intolerance to gluten. Doctors were unsure if he was being fed gluten-free food while being held captive.
Shem Tov spent his 21st and 22nd birthdays in captivity.
Itay Gal contributed to this report.