PEYTON HEADLEE. INSIDE THE CENTER AT 2300, AND AMONG THE CROWD, THERE’S ONE MAN THAT HUNDREDS HAVE COME TO MEET, A MAN WHO MANY SEE AS A BEACON OF HOPE. I TRY TO SPREAD, SPREAD LIGHT AND LOVE AND HOPE. OMER SHEMTOV SPENT 505 DAYS AS A HOSTAGE IN GAZA AFTER BEING ABDUCTED FROM THE NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL ON OCTOBER 7TH, 2023. NOW HE’S SHARING HIS STORY ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE WORLD. IT WAS A 120FT ON THE GROUND. IT WAS A SMALL, SMALL CELL THAT I COULDN’T STAND UP INSIDE, IN, INSIDE OF. AND I COULDN’T SPREAD MY ARMS OUT. I WAS IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. HE SAYS HE WAS MOSTLY KEPT IN TUNNELS, GIVEN LITTLE TO NO FOOD, AND WAS FORCED TO WORK FOR HAMAS. I WAS LIKE THE SLAVE. I WOULD SAY I USED TO TO COOK FOR THEM AND CLEAN FOR THEM, AND I USED TO DIG IN THE TUNNELS FOR THEM, AND I USED TO JUST EVERYTHING THEY USED TO TELL ME TO DO. I USED TO DO. AND THIS WAS MY WAY TO KIND OF SURVIVE. BUT HE SAYS HIS FAITH AND FAMILY GAVE HIM SOMETHING TO HOLD ON TO. THERE ARE DAYS THAT I’M BREAKING COMPLETELY, BUT THE THING THAT KEPT ME MOSTLY STRONG IS MY FAMILY. YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT THEY ARE HOME. THEY’RE WAITING FOR ME. AND AFTER MORE THAN 500 DAYS, THAT REUNION FINALLY CAME. IT’S JUST THIS. THIS. WAIT OF 505 DAYS ON YOUR SHOULDER. EVERYTHING JUST DISAPPEARS IN A SECOND. IT’S. IT’S A FEELING OF. IT’S A CRAZY HIGH. PURE HAPPINESS. THAT FEELING NOW. FUELING HIS MISSION AS HE ADVOCATES FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF ALL HOSTAGES. THEY WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS STILL HOPE IN SACRAMENTO PEYTON HEADLEE KCRA THREE NEWS. SHEM TOV WAS RELEASED WITH FIVE OTHERS IN FEBRUARY.
‘I was in complete darkness’: Former Israeli hostage shares story of survival
Omer Shem Tov, a former Israeli hostage held by Hamas for 505 days, shared his harrowing experience and message of hope during a visit to Sacramento.
Updated: 10:33 PM PST Nov 13, 2025
Omer Shem Tov, a former Israeli hostage who spent 505 days in captivity after being abducted by Hamas, shared his story of survival and resilience during an event in Sacramento on Thursday. “I try to spread light and love and hope,” Shem Tov said.Shem Tov was taken from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. During his captivity, Shem Tov said he was kept in tunnels, given little to no food, and forced to work for Hamas.”It was 120 feet underground. It was a small, small cell that I couldn’t stand up inside of and I couldn’t spread my arms out. I was in complete darkness,” he said. “I was like their slave. I used to cook for them and clean for them. And I used to dig in the tunnels for them and used to just, everything they used to tell me to do, I used to do. And this was my way to kind of survive.”Shem Tov credited his faith and family for giving him strength throughout his captivity.”There are days that I’m breaking completely, but the thing that kept me most strong is my family. You know, knowing that they’re home, they’re waiting for me and I have to do everything I can just to go back home to them safe,” he said.After more than 500 days, Shem Tov was released with five others as part of a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement in February and finally reunited with his family. “It’s just this weight of 505 days on your shoulder, everything just disappears. Yeah, in a second. It’s a feeling of a crazy high. Pure happiness— seeing my family again, my parents,” he said.Shem Tov’s experience now fuels his mission to advocate for the safe return of all hostages. “I want people to understand that there is still hope. And even in the most horrible thing, you can see someone who grew out of it and became stronger,” he said.Shem Tov shared his story in a speech to more than 350 people at the Center at 2300 on Thursday evening. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Omer Shem Tov, a former Israeli hostage who spent 505 days in captivity after being abducted by Hamas, shared his story of survival and resilience during an event in Sacramento on Thursday.
“I try to spread light and love and hope,” Shem Tov said.
Shem Tov was taken from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. During his captivity, Shem Tov said he was kept in tunnels, given little to no food, and forced to work for Hamas.
“It was 120 feet underground. It was a small, small cell that I couldn’t stand up inside of and I couldn’t spread my arms out. I was in complete darkness,” he said. “I was like their slave. I used to cook for them and clean for them. And I used to dig in the tunnels for them and used to just, everything they used to tell me to do, I used to do. And this was my way to kind of survive.”
Shem Tov credited his faith and family for giving him strength throughout his captivity.
“There are days that I’m breaking completely, but the thing that kept me most strong is my family. You know, knowing that they’re home, they’re waiting for me and I have to do everything I can just to go back home to them safe,” he said.
After more than 500 days, Shem Tov was released with five others as part of a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement in February and finally reunited with his family.
“It’s just this weight of 505 days on your shoulder, everything just disappears. Yeah, in a second. It’s a feeling of a crazy high. Pure happiness— seeing my family again, my parents,” he said.
Shem Tov’s experience now fuels his mission to advocate for the safe return of all hostages.
“I want people to understand that there is still hope. And even in the most horrible thing, you can see someone who grew out of it and became stronger,” he said.
Shem Tov shared his story in a speech to more than 350 people at the Center at 2300 on Thursday evening.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel