Testimony of Released Israeli Hostage from Gaza: Not Everyone Was Lucky

Chen Almog Goldstein, during the 51 days she was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza with her three children, had to suppress her tears over the deaths of her husband and daughter in an attack by Hamas militants on their home in Israel on October 7. She said, "We were in Gaza within seven minutes. I remember the looks on my children's faces. There was a great shock and sorrow within me that I couldn't show because I was trying to survive." The 49-year-old social worker had to bury her grief over her husband's death, who was shot in the chest by Hamas militants when they entered their home shelter, and their eldest daughter Yam, 20, was killed moments later. She stated that she and her three other children spent their first and last nights in Gaza in an underground tunnel. They were released in late November in a prisoner exchange for Palestinian hostages. Until their release, they were moved from house to house several times. Chen Almog Goldstein added that sometimes food and water were limited, sanitary conditions were harsh, there was no running water in the toilet, and they only had one opportunity to change clothes. She mentioned that the windows were always heavily covered. When it got dark, the houses they were kept in were either lit by candles or completely dark. The released hostage referred to the constant fear she and her children experienced, even despite assurances from the militants that she, her 17-year-old daughter, and her 11 and 9-year-old sons would not be harmed. She stated that other hostages were not as lucky; for example, some were beaten by the militants, and some had their hands shackled for several hours. Almog Goldstein added, "Not only men but women were also beaten, and we heard of sexual abuse, some firsthand and some were girls we saw and witnessed or heard about, injuries [were also] inflicted with weapons." Previously, Hamas denied allegations of sexual abuse. Israeli officials say that of the 129 hostages currently held in Gaza without access to the Red Cross, 19 are women. Almog Goldstein expressed concern for women who remained in Gaza, stating that some of them were severely injured. She added, "They said they could cope with physical injuries but did not know how to deal with sexual trauma." Since Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages in their attacks on Israel on October 7, the Israeli army has launched an offensive in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas. Hamas claims that over 21,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, but it does not mention the number of militants killed in its statistics. The Persian section of Voice of America cannot independently verify the figures provided by Hamas. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians and public facilities such as hospitals and schools as human shields. Hamas has denied this. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization.