Women and men are still at the mercy of the radical Islamic terrorist organization Hamas. Former hostages are now reporting on the experiences they had to endure in captivity. Sexual violence is everyday life – against women and men.
According to Israeli media, several released Hamas hostages and their relatives have reported sexual violence while in captivity in the Gaza Strip. “At this moment someone is being raped in a tunnel,” the daughter of a freed woman told members of parliament on Tuesday, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.
The hostages “didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. Their mother, who was released at the end of November, said according to media reports that the terrorists treated the girls in captivity like dolls with whom they could do whatever they wanted. “I can’t breathe, I can’t handle it, it’s too hard. It’s been almost four months and they’re still here.”
Men are also apparently affected by Hamas’ sexual violence
The girls in captivity were like her daughters, she continued. According to the media, the woman emphasized that men had the same experiences. “They can’t get pregnant, but they also go through with it.” Her husband is reportedly still being held in the Gaza Strip. “I can’t understand how the world is silent.” There was not a minute of their 51 days of captivity in which the hostages did not experience abuse, the Haaretz newspaper quoted the woman as saying.
Another released hostage said many girls in captivity no longer had their periods. “And maybe we should pray that it’s the body protecting itself so that, God forbid, they can’t get pregnant.”
The sister of a woman kidnapped from the Nova music festival stressed that time is a key factor for all hostages, especially female ones. She asked if it wouldn’t bother Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if they returned pregnant. After almost four months in captivity, the point for terminating the pregnancy had been passed.
Gaza Strip
Behind a dune, at the border crossing, begins a tunnel large enough for cars
Israel: Freed hostages draw attention to terrible circumstances
On October 7, 2023, terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups carried out a massacre in southern Israel. They killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 253 others to the Gaza Strip.
Released hostages had already painted a picture of horror at rallies in recent weeks and pointed out the circumstances under which the kidnapped people were and are probably still being held in the Gaza Strip. The speakers also spoke, among other things, of sexual abuse of women. There are also numerous reports of brutal sexual violence against women and girls from the massacre on October 7th.
According to Israeli government figures, terrorists in the Gaza Strip are still holding 132 people who they kidnapped from Israel on October 7th. Israel believes that 105 of them are still alive and that many are being held in Hamas’ underground tunnel network.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
