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Feted by school children, tossing out a first pitch: Former Israeli hostage grapples with celebrity

Omer Shem Tov, a 22-year-old Israeli hostage held for 505 days in Gaza, threw the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game three months after his release.
His captivity followed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that seized 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, sparking global hostage campaigns.
Shem Tov endured harsh conditions underground, subsisting on nearly only a biscuit each day and losing almost 55 pounds before his release on February 22 as part of a ceasefire agreement.
He now travels worldwide advocating for the 58 remaining hostages, warning that continued military pressure risks their lives, while struggling with the burdens of unsought celebrity.
Shem Tov's public role highlights ongoing conflict consequences, with a third of hostages believed alive amid escalating Gaza violence that endangers lives on both sides.

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