Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Feb 23: Hamas released six Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the ongoing hostage deal. Among them was Omer Shem Tov, who made headlines when he kissed two of his captors on stage and blew kisses to the crowd before being freed after more than 500 days in captivity.

However, after returning home, Shem Tov has revealed that he was pressured into the act. "I was told to do so," he said.

His father further elaborated on the ordeal, saying his captors "compelled him to wave and kiss [on the head] the masked guard standing next to him." Speaking to Kan TV, he added, "You can see in the footage that someone came up to him and told him what to do."

Shem Tov’s release comes more than a year after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 individuals. He, along with two other men, was taken hostage from the Nova music festival in Israel’s Negev Desert.

His account sheds light on the psychological pressure exerted on hostages before their release, raising further concerns over the conditions of those still held in captivity.