Conflicts & War

Israeli women who were held hostage in Gaza denounce sexual violence by Hamas

Jerusalem, Jan 23 (EFE). – Israeli women who were held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday denounced sexual abuses committed by the Palestinian Islamist group before a committee of the Israeli parliament (Knesset).

The statements come amid several reports in recent weeks that Hamas has been using sexual violence as a weapon of war since Oct. 7, when it attacked Israeli territory and sparked the current conflict.

Some of the women abducted in the October attack and released in November spoke on Tuesday before a parliamentary committee on victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

Aviva Siegel, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, said that hostages in the Strip are treated like “dolls” by their captors, who systematically abuse and humiliate them.

“I can’t breathe, I can’t deal with it, it’s too hard. It’s been nearly four months and they are still there,” Aviva said.

“I’m still there. My body is there. The boys also go through abuse — what the girls go through. Maybe they don’t get pregnant [but] they are also puppets on a string,” she added.

A total of 19 women remain captive in the Strip, according to Israeli figures.

In December, another Israeli hostage, Agam Goldstein-Almog, who was kidnapped along with her mother, Chen, described the abuses during another parliamentary hearing.

“They were raped, hurt, some were injured,” she added, ensuring that there were also men who suffered torture and abuse.

In another appearance before the parliamentary committee in early January, Aviva Siegel said she saw another Israeli hostage being tortured after her captors accused her of being an Israeli army officer.

According to eyewitnesses, emergency and medical personnel, and the Israeli authorities, there are many cases of victims who were sexually abused during the Oct. 7 attack in which Hamas killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took at least 240 hostages.

Of the hostages, 110 were released, mostly women and children, during the cease-fire at the end of November, which also included the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners – women and minors – from Israeli jails.

Currently, Israel estimates that some 130 people taken hostage on Oct. 7 remain in captivity in the Strip and estimates that 28 of them might be dead.

The families of the hostages are increasing the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government to assure the release of the hostages and are advocating for a deal.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister has urged in recent weeks to achieve the release of the hostages through military pressure.

Negotiations mediated by Egypt and Qatar continue to try to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas.

EFE

jma/mcd

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