Amit Soussana, a lawyer from Israel, was kidnapped on October 7th and taken to Gaza by at least 10 armed men. During her 55-day captivity, she endured physical and sexual violence. Despite claims by Hamas spokesmen that she was treated well, Soussana spoke out about her experiences after being released in late November.
Soussana lived in a small house near the Gaza border when she was kidnapped. The attackers targeted multiple Israeli villages, causing devastation and loss of life. In addition to the physical violence she experienced during her captivity, Soussana described being chained alone in a room and forced into sexual acts at gunpoint by a guard.
After her release, Soussana spoke with medical professionals and a UN team about the sexual assault she endured. While Hamas acknowledged the need to investigate her claims, they questioned the validity of her detailed account. The spokesman maintained that Hamas does not condone mistreatment of any human being and denied that civilian hostages were the objective of the raid on October 7th. However, Soussana’s bravery in speaking out about her experiences has raised awareness about the issue of mistreatment of civilians during times of conflict.