A freed Israeli hostage revealed that his Hamas captors feared President Trump’s return to office and expressed a preference for Kamala Harris to win the 2024 election. Omer Shem Tov, a 22-year-old Israeli kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack, recounted that his treatment improved after Trump’s election.
“As soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood that he wants to bring the hostages back home,” Shem Tov told CNN. “So immediately the way they treated me changed … when Trump became president the way they treated us changed for me personally.”
Shem Tov described that after Trump’s election, his captors ceased cursing and spitting at him and provided more food. He attributed this change to their fear of Trump’s determination to secure the hostages’ release. “Before we felt like nothing is happening, and I remember ever since he came into the role, they were very scared of him,” he said.
He also noted that his captors expressed a desire for Kamala Harris to be elected. “They wanted Kamala to be chosen,” Shem Tov said, referencing conversations with his captors.
Shem Tov was released on February 22, 2025, as part of a ceasefire deal. During his captivity, he lost 50 pounds and endured near-starvation, relying on biscuits and salty water to survive.” He reported that Hamas captors threatened to shoot him if they heard Israeli forces nearby.
Since his release, Shem Tov has been advocating for the freedom of remaining hostages and met with President Trump in March to discuss the issue.
