Former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov speaks at a rally calling for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, April 19, 2025. (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Starved and abused for months, a former Israeli hostage says his captors suddenly eased up after Donald Trump won the November 2024 presidential election.
By World Israel News Staff
Former hostage Omer Shem-Tov said that his Hamas captors treated him better after President Donald Trump won the November 2024 election, citing fear of reprisals from the American president, and that the terror group had been rooting for a Kamala Harris victory.
“As soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood that he wants to bring the hostages back home,” Shem-Tov told CNN in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.
“So immediately, the way they treated me changed … when Trump became president, the way they treated us changed for me personally.”
Shem-Tov noted that he received “more food” immediately after the election results became public.
The terrorists “stopped cursing me” and “stopped spitting on me,” he said.
Echoing other ex-captives’ remarks, Shem-Tov said that Trump’s election gave new hope to the hostages held in Gaza.
“Before, we felt like nothing was happening, and I remember ever since [Trump] came into the role, they were very scared of him,” Shem-Tov said.
Shem-Tov also recounted that in a conversation, his captors expressed support for Harris, who ran as the Democratic candidate after incumbent Joe Biden dropped out of the race due to health concerns.
“They wanted Kamala to be chosen,” Shem-Tov said of the Hamas terrorists who held him hostage in an underground tunnel for some 14 months.
The released hostage, who was freed in a February 2025 deal, added that he endured prolonged starvation for the majority of his captivity, lost about 50 pounds, and survived on a diet of crackers and salt water.
“I was being starved,” he said. “There’s no question about it.”
Shem-Tov, now 22, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7. Since his release, he has been advocating for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
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