A First: Hamas rape victim goes public with her ordeal

Raped in a child’s bedroom – For the first time ever, an Israeli woman held captive by Hamas has publicly accused her captors of rape.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

An Israeli woman taken hostage on October 7th and held in captivity in the Gaza Strip has accused her former captors of rape, marking the first time an Israeli hostage has gone on record stating they were sexually assaulted while held by Gaza terrorists.

Amit Soussana, a 40-year-old attorney, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Hamas invasion of October 7th.

At the end of the truce between Hamas and Israel in late November, Soussana was released as part of the hostage deal, which included the freeing of hundreds of jailed Arab terrorists.

On Tuesday, The New York Times revealed testimony given by Soussana, confirming that she had been raped while in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

During the invasion itself on October 7th, Soussana was brutally beaten during he abduction, she recalled, with at least 10 men dragging her off to the Gaza Strip.

Security camera footage from her abduction shows Soussana being dragged off, while wrapped in a white fabric, by a group of men.

Her abductors attempted to subdue her and carry her into Gaza on a bicycle, but ultimately dragged her through open fields after binding her hands and feet.

Soussana arrived in the Gaza Strip with significant injuries, including heavy bleeding, fractures to her right eye socket, cheek, nose, and knee.

Soussana told the Times, during eight hours of interviews in mid-March, that during her captivity she had been chained to a bed in a child’s bedroom – one decorated with images of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

Her guard, who identified himself by his first name, Muhammad, would regularly sexually harass Soussana, lifting up her shirt, touching her body, and asking when her period would be over.

Muhammad frequently asked her about her sex life, and would enter the bedroom she was held in while wearing only his underwear.

On the day of the sexual assault, October 24th, two and a half weeks after she was kidnapped, Muhammad unchained Soussana, allowing her bath.

After her bath, however, Muhammad entered the bathroom and pointed a pistol at her, striking Soussana twice, striping her of her towel, and groping her.

“He sat me on the edge of the bath. And I closed my legs. And I resisted. And he kept punching me and put his gun in my face.”

Muhammad then dragged Soussana back to the bedroom where she had been held captive and raped her at gunpoint.

“He came towards me and shoved the gun at my forehead,” Soussana said.

“Then he, with the gun pointed at me, forced me to commit a sexual act on him.”

While the Times did not disclose details of the rape itself, the article confirmed that Soussana’s description of events and her captivity matched those given to social workers after she was freed.

After the rape, Soussana says Muhammad expressed guilt over the attack, saying “I’m bad, I’m bad, please don’t tell Israel.”

Shortly after the story’s publication Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog released a statement calling for international condemnation of sex crimes by Gaza terrorists.

“Amit Soussana speaks for all those who cannot speak. She speaks for all the victims of Hamas’ despicable sexual crimes and abuse. She speaks for all women everywhere.

“The whole world has the moral duty to stand with Amit – and all the victims – in condemning Hamas’s brutal terror, and in demanding the immediate return of all the hostages.”

Hamas rapeIsraeli captives in Gazasexual assault