Two Israeli women freed from captivity by the radical Islamic group Hamas told a parliamentary sexual assault committee on Tuesday about “abuse” during their captivity. “I was there for 51 days and there was not a moment when we were not exposed to all kinds of abuse,” said Aviva Siegel, who was kidnapped from her home in kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel during Hamas’ major attack on Israel . It was October 7th.
The 62-year-old said Hamas fighters treated both men and women as puppets “with whom they can do whatever they want.”
“I saw it with my own eyes. “I not only saw the women, I felt them as if they were my daughters,” Siegel continued before the parliamentary committee. The male hostages suffered equally, she added.
That was the hostages’ biggest fear
Hostage Chen Goldstein-Almog, who was also released, said some female prisoners had stopped menstruating. The 48-year-old explained that this could be due to “the difficult conditions in captivity” and that she hopes they are not pregnant. According to Goldstein-Almog, the hostages’ greatest fear was that Israeli authorities would surrender them.
Both women were freed during a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in November, during which a total of 80 Israeli hostages were freed. In return, aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip were approved and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli prisons. According to information from the AFP news agency, fourteen female hostages are still being held by Hamas.
Cases of sexual violence have become known
After the attack on October 7, cases of sexual violence became known, but the extent of the violence is difficult to estimate due to the lack of statements from survivors. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a group of released hostages last month and said he had been told of “instances of sexual abuse and horrific rape.”
According to Israel, 132 hostages are still being held by Hamas
On October 7, hundreds of supporters of Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups invaded Israeli cities. In their unprecedented attack, they carried out mass killings of civilians, killing approximately 1,140 people and kidnapping 250 people as hostages. About 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire in November. According to Israeli information, 132 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas and 28 of them are believed to be dead.
In response to the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas. The Israeli army began airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in late October and sent ground troops into the Palestinian territory. According to Hamas information, which cannot be independently verified, more than 25,000 people have been killed in the Israeli military operation so far.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
