Gaza Strip:
Maya Regev, 21, and her younger brother Itay, 18, were abducted by Hamas operatives who stormed the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7. While Maya was among the 17 hostages freed by Hamas on day 2 of the truce, her brother still hasn’t been released.
“My heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamas’ captivity in Gaza,” says their Mirit Regev as she hugs Maya after nearly 50.
Maya was among the first hostages captured by Hamas from the music festival. Originally from Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, Maya and Itay had returned to Israel the previous day after celebrating their mother’s birthday abroad.
She was hit by gunfire while on the phone with their father, who tried in vain to locate their position.
“Dad, come here. They’re shooting at me, I’m dying,” was what Maya screamed when she called her dad Ilan Regev at 8.58 am on October 7. He told her to hide, but she could not heed his call.
He immediately rushed towards the venue of the concert but was stopped by roadblocks and had to turn back.
A few hours later, the siblings were seen in a video circulating online tied to the back of a pick-up truck.
“They went to a party to enjoy themselves. I don’t care about politics, I just want my children back healthy, and in one piece,” Ilan told the Times of Israel.
Their mother, Mirit, describes them as a fun-loving duo to loves to make plans. “She (Maya) loves life, she makes plans, she leads and brings others with her. Itay, he loves to surf, to laugh, to live,” she told Times of Israel.
Maya was among the 13 Israelis who were reunited with their families after the second release of hostages from Hamas captivity in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Sunday. She was immediately taken to a hospital to treat a leg injury.
Israel has unleashed its military might on the small, crowded Gaza Strip after 1,200 Israelis died and over 200 were captured in the October 7 attack. At least 15,000 people have been killed, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.
