I’m an expert in hostage negotiations – this is what’s going on in Israel behind the scenes

In almost 30 years around hostage cases, I have never known a kidnapping as complex and unpredictable as the taking of almost 200 men, women and children by Hamas, writes Rachel Briggs. The situation is perilous, but we must retain hope

21-year-old Mia Shem, a French-Israeli woman, was abducted from the Nova music festival. Her mother spoke movingly at a press conference (EPA/ABIR SULTAN)

Ten days after they kidnapped 199 people from Israel, Hamas released a video of 21-year-old Mia Shem, a French-Israeli woman who was abducted from the Nova music festival. In the film, Mia is seen receiving medical attention for her injured arm from someone off-camera. She states that she is being well looked after, pleads for help to bring her home, and looks visibly scared.

The video offered our first glimpse into the captivity that these hostages are enduring. It is what’s known as a “proof of life” – confirmation that the person has been taken hostage (that’s not always clear at first), and that they are still alive (that there is something to be negotiated over). While it is impossible to imagine the distress her family felt at seeing Mia’s condition, the video will likely be a source of some hope and comfort; their daughter and sister is still alive. For negotiators, a proof of life also confirms they are in contact with the right group; it is not uncommon for people to insert themselves into the process in the hope of intercepting a ransom payment or disrupting discussions.

The short film is a form of communication. We must assume that Mia’s words were scripted, and Hamas are using her to send a number of messages: to their supporters and base, that they are caring for the hostages; to the Israeli government, that they are powerful and defiant; and to the wider world, they are attempting to undermine the widespread narrative of their barbarity.