Freed Hamas Hostage: They Told Me ‘When Soldiers Come, Blow The House Up. I Refused’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Omer Shem Tov, who was held captive by Hamas and released after 500 days in captivity, will appear this Thursday in a special investigative episode of “Uvda” on Israel’s Channel 12.

In a chilling interview, he reveals how terrorists booby-trapped the house above the tunnel where he was and ordered him to blow it up when IDF soldiers soldiers entered it — and how he refused. “They told me: ‘When soldiers come to this house, you blow it up.’ I told them no. They threatened to shoot me in the head — and I said, then shoot,” Shem Tov recounted.

Omer’s parents recently described the harsh conditions of his captivity:

“He was put in a very small cell, where he couldn’t even stand or stretch his arms. It was underground, without electricity. They gave him a small flashlight, and occasionally the battery would die, leaving him in complete darkness. At first, they gave him pita bread, but at some point he was only given biscuits. The water he received was salty and unfit for drinking. It was extremely hard. In the last few days, it became very difficult for him to hold on mentally and physically.”