Terrorist held a gun to his head, Itay Regev prayed: I felt God was listening to me

Former hostage Itay Regev recalled the harrowing moments he was abducted to Gaza on October 7, 2023, after fleeing the Nova music festival with his sister, Maya Regev, and friend Omer Shem Tov. Reflecting on his experiences with fellow cast members on the popular HOT reality show “Golstar", Regev described the moment their vehicle drove into a terrorist ambush along Route 232. “Maya was having a panic attack beside me. We turned right onto Route 232, and the moment we made that turn, we saw a pickup truck waiting for oncoming cars," he said. Realizing they might not survive, Regev asked his sister to call their father. “I told Maya, ‘Get Dad on the line. We’re not getting out of here. Let’s say goodbye.’" As their father answered, gunfire erupted. “I was shot in the leg. Maya was hit two seconds later and started screaming, ‘Dad, they’re shooting me.’ He heard all the gunfire. We told him, ‘Dad, we love you. We’re going to die.’ It was a farewell call." Regev described the overwhelming realization as terrorists surrounded the car. “Coming to terms with knowing that you’re going to die is insane." One of the terrorists pulled Regev from the vehicle first, followed by Maya and Omer, forcing all three onto the pavement. “One of the terrorists stood over me, pressing his foot into my back and the barrel of his gun against my head, literally pushing my face into the road," Regev recalled. At that moment, Regev began reciting the Psalm “Shir LaMa’alot". “I just started reciting Shir LaMa’alot. Two minutes later, the gun was lifted from my head. That was my first true encounter with God." He added: “I felt as though God was listening to me, as if He lifted the gun, not the terrorist. That was my first real interaction with Him, and from there, my faith only grew stronger."