New Book Release

Hostage Omer Shem Tov Publishes Memoir

Shem Tov, who spent over 16 months in Hamas captivity, shares his story of survival and the choices that sustained him through isolation

Eliana Fleming, Srugim

AUG 16, 2026 20:20

1 min read

A year and a half after his release from Hamas captivity, Omer Shem Tov has announced the publication of a new book titled "Meeting Myself in Hell," released by Sela Meir Publishers.

The memoir chronicles his experience during more than 16 months as a hostage, exploring the faith that sustained him and the inner resources that enabled him to endure 505 days in captivity.

"On October 7, my life stopped. I didn't choose to be kidnapped. I didn't choose to spend 505 days in Hamas tunnels. I didn't choose to be separated from my family, my friends, and my life," Shem Tov wrote in announcing the book.

He also reflected on the period he spent in isolation: "And I certainly didn't choose to spend fifty days alone, in a dark cell, just me, my thoughts, and God. But precisely in the place where almost everything was taken from me, I understood that there was one thing that remained mine. Choice."

Concluding his message, he wrote: "The choice of what to think. What to believe. What not to give up on. And how to preserve myself even when the reality around me is impossible."

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