Israeli hostage: Trump return scared Hamas captors

A former Israeli hostage says his Hamas captors were “very scared” of Donald Trump returning to power — and hoped Kamala Harris would win the US presidency instead.

Omer Shem Tov, 22, was captured by Hamas during the 7 October 2023, Nova music festival attack and held in Gaza for 505 days. In an interview with CNN aired Wednesday, he shared how the 2024 US election influenced his captors’ behavior.

“They were very scared of [Trump],” Shem Tov said. “They wanted Kamala to be elected.”

He described how his treatment improved after Trump won the presidency, suggesting Hamas feared swift U.S. action to secure hostage releases. “More food, started treating me better. Stopped cursing me. Stopped spitting on me,” he added.

Shem Tov visited the White House in March with other freed hostages and told President Trump he believed he was “sent by God” to rescue them.

Kamala Harris’ office has not issued a statement in response.