Former hostage exposes sexual violence and torture by Hamas

In an interview with "The New York Times," Amit Soussana, a former hostage of Hamas, shared her harrowing experiences of sexual and physical abuse during her captivity. She revealed that one of the fighters raped her at gunpoint.

Amit Soussana, an Israeli lawyer, was held hostage by Hamas for 55 days. Her ordeal came to public attention when a video capturing her struggle with the fighters before being taken hostage circulated widely in the media.

Soussana disclosed that she was confined in a children's bedroom, with a chain fastened to her left ankle. The terrorist guarding her, referred to as Muhammad, occasionally sat beside her on the bed, lifted her shirt, and touched her inappropriately.

She further recounted that Muhammad persistently inquired about her menstrual cycle - whether she was menstruating, if she had washed, and when it would conclude. In late October, he ordered her to wash, then attacked her, pointed a gun at her, struck her on the head, and ripped off her towel.

"Then he pointed the gun at me and forced me to have sexual intercourse with him," Soussana stated. He then deserted the room, leaving her naked and alone in the darkness.

Soussana also spoke about the violence inflicted by Hamas fighters, who through torture, attempted to extract information about their adversaries. She was subjected to beatings with the butts of rifles, kicked, and had her head covered with a shirt. She chose to share her story to spotlight the plight of approximately 100 hostages still held by Hamas.

A spokesman for Hamas contested her accusations, asserting that their fighters would not commit such acts since they consider "the human body, especially that of a woman, to be sacred." Nevertheless, a UN report corroborates evidence of sexual violence against women in Hamas's custody.