2024-01-23 17:49:58
In total, according to Israeli data, 19 women remain captive in the Strip.
JERUSALEM.- Israeli women who were kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza testified today before a committee of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), pointing out that those who are still in custody in the Strip are being victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by that Palestinian Islamist group.
Accusations continue once morest Hamas for using sexual violence as a war tactic since last October 7, when it launched an attack on Israeli territory, triggering the current conflict.
Some women who were kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack and released in November appeared today in a parliamentary commission on victims of sexual and gender violence, before which they stated that some of the hostages in the Strip are treated like “dolls.” ” by their guardians.
“The terrorists bring inappropriate clothes, clothes for dolls, and they turn the girls into their dolls. Dolls on a rope with which you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” said former hostage Aviva Siegel, adding that she saw it “with her own eyes” while she was held captive in Gaza in the hands of Palestinian militias.
At the same time, she said she was concerned regarding the fact that women hostages still in Gaza are being raped, and noted that there are captive boys who “also suffer abuse” and are “puppets on a string,” Siegel added.
In total, according to Israeli data, 19 women remain captive in the Strip.
Last month, another Israeli hostage freed along with her daughter, Chen Goldstein-Almog, said in an interview with Channel 12 News that she met other captives in Gaza “who went through difficult things.”
“They were raped, hurt, some were injured,” he added, ensuring that there were also men who suffered torture and abuse.
For her part, in another appearance in early January before the parliamentary committee, Aviva Siegel said that she saw another Israeli hostage being tortured following her captors accused her of being an Israeli Army officer.
They tortured her next to me, and I witnessed it,” he said.
According to eyewitnesses, emergency and health personnel or the Israeli authorities themselves, there are many cases of victims who suffered sexual abuse during the October 7 attack in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took at least one to Gaza. 240 hostages.
Of the hostages, 110 were released, the majority – largely women and children – during the truce at the end of November that also involved the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners – women and minors – from Israeli prisons.
Currently, Israel estimates that 130 people taken hostage on October 7 remain captive in the Strip. Of these, he estimates that 28 are dead and the rest are still alive.
This comes as the families of the hostages increase pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Government to take effective steps for the release of the captives, even if it involves an agreement with Hamas, as the prime minister has urged in recent weeks to achieve the release of hostages with military pressure, a route that their families do not see as possible nor do they consider efficient.
Meanwhile, negotiations mediated by Egypt and Qatar continue to reach some type of pact between Israel and Hamas and, according to information published yesterday by Israeli digital Walla, the Israeli Government would have transferred a proposal for a two-month truce in Gaza to exchange for the release of all captives and the release of a considerable number of Palestinian prisoners.
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