Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, evidence of sexual violence has continued to mount. Hamas continues to deny this, citing its religion, which views the female body as something sacred. Now a freed hostage has spoken for the first time about the sexual abuse she allegedly suffered during her captivity.
In a detailed report, the New York Times tells the story of Amit Soussana, an Israeli lawyer who was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Azza on October 7, 2023 and taken to Gaza.
In an interview, the 40-year-old describes her experiences in detail: how she defended herself against her captors, was beaten and moved to different houses in Gaza. And about how she had to endure an assault at gunpoint.
She was held in the darkened nursery of a private apartment, where she was chained to the window frame, Soussana said. She remembers the walls being covered in SpongeBob posters. She was watched over by a man named Muhammad, who repeatedly inquired about her sex life and the timing of her periods. He repeatedly entered the room, lifted her shirt and touched her.
When her period was over, she lied to him that she was still bleeding to buy herself a week. Then the attack happened: he uncuffed her and led her to the bathroom, where she started washing herself in the bathtub. Her tormentor returned and stood in the doorway with a gun in his hand, Amit Soussana said. He threatened her with the gun and then forced her to drop the bath towel. With the gun pointed at her, he forced her to perform a sex act, which The New York Times did not go into in detail.
Soussana was one of 105 hostages released during the ceasefire in late November 2023. Shortly after her release, she told a gynecologist and a social worker about her attack. Due to the remaining more than a hundred hostages in the Gaza Strip and the difficult negotiations on a new ceasefire, she has now decided to share her fate with the public.
(anb)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
