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1 year ago
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Freed Hamas hostage Mia Schem has got a poignant tattoo inked on her arm commemorating the victims of the Nova Festival massacre.
The French-Israeli tattoo artist, 21, was snatched during the October 7 bloodbath in which hundreds of free-spirited festival-goers were brutally murdered during the terrorist group's mass invasion of Israel.
Eleven days after her release Mia has had a new tattoo inked marking the date of the festival massacre with the poignant words 'We will dance again' written above in memory of the 364 people who were killed.
She was shot and taken back to Gaza where she was held captive for 54 days in which she spent three hours in surgery being operated on by a vet to fix her wounded hand.
Mia became one of the most high-profile captees after Hamas released a video in the early days of the war in which she was forced to parrot the terrorists' propaganda.
French-Israeli Mia Schem, 21, has had a new tattoo on her arm in memory of the 364 people killed during the Nova Festival massacre on October 7
The freed Hamas hostage has the date of the massacre inked on her arm with the poignant words 'We will dance again' written above
Mia getting the new tattoo by her her friend and mentor Liav Forer. In a tear-jerking message she wrote: '7.10.23 I will never forget. The pain and the fear, the difficult sights, the friends that will not come back and the ones we must get back'
Heartwarming images showed a tearful Mia being reunited with her parents on November 30 as she was released during Israel's seven-day truce with Hamas which was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US.
Mia posted a photo of herself yesterday onto her Instagram page - exclusively obtained by MailOnline - showing off the new body art, with her injured arm still wrapped in bandages and held in a sling.
In a tear-jerking message she wrote: '7.10.23 I will never forget. The pain and the fear, the difficult sights, the friends that will not come back and the ones we must get back.
'But we are yet to win, We will still be dancing!'
The post has had more than 165,000 likes and hundreds of supportive messages. In one she is described as 'a symbol of light, hope, and love'.
The new tattoo was inked by her mentor and friend 36-year-old Liav Forer who has a studio in the central Israeli city of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut.
The artist posted pictures on his Instagram stories of Mia sitting in a chair getting the tattoo.
Speaking to The Times last month before Mia was freed, he spoke of about their close bond.
'Mia and I known each other a long time, we met as friends and she would come and get tattoos done by me,' he said.
Mia with Liav Forer who previously spoke about their close bond before she was released from captivity
Mia (pictured, centre) was one of the two women released by Hamas after the ceasefire deal was extended minutes before it was due to time out
The French-Israeli hostage had been held captive for 54 days since October 7 when she was dragged away in to Gaza
Mia, flanked by gunmen and surrounded by hundreds of screaming men, looks petrified as she is put into a Red Cross vehicle
'It was her dream to be a tattoo artist, and work in a studio and a year ago she got back from Thailand and started to work with me to manage the new studio.'
Schem was one of eight hostages released by Hamas hours before the seven-day ceasefire broke down and hostilities last week.
Mia's aunt told Israeli media upon her release that her niece underwent less than stellar care in captivity. 'She is thin, she is weak. A vet operated on her arm. She did not receive physiotherapy,' she declared.
The extent of Mia's injuries has not yet been verified, but it is thought she will likely make a good recovery with physiotherapy, having been discharged from hospital.
Mia was seized by Hamas gunmen at the Nova music festival along with her friend Elia Toledano, 27. She is still believed to be held captive by Hamas.
The world watched in horror as Mia was paraded by the Hamas terrorists in October in a chilling video where she pleaded with Israeli officials to 'get her out of Gaza'. The video showed her injured arm being treated by an unidentified medical worker.
After seeing the video of her daughter, her mother Keren had begged 'the world to bring' her daughter home, with the anguished mother saying at the time she feared what the terrorists would do to 'her baby'.
But before she was freed, she was made to film a video speaking about her experience as a hostage. In an emotional clip shared by Hamas, she says: 'People very good, very kind to me ... Food good and the kindness and everything good.'
Mia had been paraded by Hamas terrorists in a chilling video in which she pleaded with Israeli officials to 'get her out of Gaza'
Mia looked full of life and beaming with happiness as she danced with friends in images filmed at the ill-fated Nova Festival
Video released by her family showed Mia dancing and smiling with friends at the Nova Festival
Mia was seen smiling as she exited a hospital surrounded by her grateful family after being released from captivity.
Heartwarming images showed Schem leaving the Sheba Medical Centre in Ramat Gan with her mother and brother in tow.
She became one of the most high-profile captees after Hamas released a video in the early days of the war showing her recovering from surgery.
'Hi, I'm Mia Schem, 21 years old from Shoham. Currently, I'm in Gaza. I was seriously injured in my hand. I underwent surgery on my arm at the hospital for 3 hours. They are taking care of me, giving me medicine, everything is fine,' she was heard saying at the time.
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