Maya and Itay Regev, both abducted by Hamas during the Oct. 7 massacre and later freed, are struggling to rebuild their lives after the horrific ordeal. Maya says that until her close friend Omer Shem Tov is released, she cannot fully heal.
"Until Omer is back, this will not be over," Maya says. "Itay and I have been given the gift of life and the chance to tell our story from a safe place, but it follows us every minute of our lives, every second of every day. All we talk about is how Omer is not here."
Maya and Itay Regev recount their ordeal in captivity to UN ambassadors
"I was the most normal girl," she recalls. "I worked to save up for my trip around the world. Then, I went to the other extreme, becoming someone who lives in a hospital, moving from surgeries to rehabilitation to check-ups. From being free to being stuck."
Maya was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with her brother Itay and their friend Omer. She returned home after 50 days in captivity as part of the only hostage exchange deal to date. Wounded in her leg, she was hospitalized upon her return to Israel.
3 View gallery
Maya and Itay Regev reunited after Itay's release from captivity
(Photo: Soroka Medical Center)
"During the first four days, until Itay came back, I felt helpless," she says. "I couldn't bring myself to take care of myself without him."
Maya has since undergone eight surgeries on her leg after her condition worsened. "I've been athletic since I was three, and in one moment, I became someone who cannot do things on her own." Now, three months after her last operation, she can walk and is undergoing rehabilitation. "I can't run, but I can walk down the stairs, and that excites me."
Itay’s life also took a dramatic turn when he was taken hostage. "I had a steady job, a date to enlist in the army and a clear plan for my life. Now, everything is different," he says.
3 View gallery
Maya and Itay Regev at the site of the Nova festival; in the front: a missing person poster of Hamas hostage Omer Shem Tov
(Photo: Ziv Koren)
"We came back to an unfamiliar reality. Everyone knows who we are and our story. We’re learning to cope with that. This year has been filled with challenges. While I was in Gaza, I decided I would become a better version of myself. I was given my life back, and I plan to live it to the fullest. But I can’t move forward while Omer and the other 100 hostages are still captives."
Itay says he never imagined he could survive such an ordeal. "If someone had told me what I would endure, I wouldn’t have believed I could get through it. But I discovered strength I didn’t know I had."
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Maya echoes his sentiments. "I never thought I’d speak publicly or give interviews, let alone care about the news. Now, I have all the apps and stay up to date. It’s partly a need for control, but mostly, I’m thinking about Omer."
Maya also says she was surprised by the Israeli public’s support for the hostages. "When I was there, I thought there might be a protest once a week calling for our release, and otherwise, life would go on. When I got back, I was shocked. If I had known how many people were fighting for us, it would have given me so much more strength."
The two cannot imagine where they will be in a year, especially while hostages remain captive. "I’m on hold," Maya says. "I imagine us with Omer, traveling the world—not forgetting our ordeal but growing together. Eating a good meal, maybe even jogging, though Omer might not agree because he’s lazy. I want people to know this is possible, that these are lives that can be saved."