An Israeli Woman's Account of Captivity by Hamas: From Beatings and Chains to Sexual Assault at Gunpoint

Amit Susanna, an Israeli woman who was held captive by Hamas for 55 days in Gaza, told the New York Times on Tuesday that at least 10 Hamas members violently abducted her from her home on October 7 and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. She is the first Israeli woman to publicly speak about her experience of sexual assault and other forms of violence by Hamas forces after her release. In an 8-hour interview with the New York Times, she recounted being kept alone in a room, with her left ankle chained to a bed, and sometimes a guard would enter, sit next to her on the bed, lift her shirt, and touch her body. Susanna added, 'The guard, named Mohammed, repeatedly asked about my menstrual cycle, but one morning he unlocked my chain and sent me to the bathroom. After I took off my clothes and started washing myself, Mohammed returned with a gun in hand, came towards me, pressed the weapon to my forehead, and assaulted me.' Susanna, who works as a lawyer, was released in late November 2023 as part of a hostage exchange. The Hostage Families Association stated, 'Amit Susanna's brave testimony detailing her horrific captivity is one of many heartbreaking accounts from hostages held by Hamas.' The association added, 'What happened to Amit is the nightmare that many hostages face every day in captivity. Their lives are at risk. Return our daughters and all our loved ones before it is too late.' The United Nations published a report in mid-March indicating that Hamas forces committed sexual assault, gang rape, and other acts of sexual violence against hostages taken during the October 7 attack on Israel, and those still held in Gaza continue to face such abuse. However, Basem Naeem, a Hamas official, denied the UN report regarding sexual assaults. The Islamist group Hamas, supported by the Islamic Republic, killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages in its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Approximately 100 of these hostages were released two months later in a temporary ceasefire, but Hamas has refused to release the remaining hostages despite numerous negotiations and mediations, conditioning their release on meeting its demands, which Israeli officials describe as 'excessive demands.' Senior US officials have discussed the issue of sexual violence by Hamas forces with a UN representative.