Chen Almog-Goldstein said four women who are in captivity had accounts of “sexual assault and desecration of their bodies.’
By World Israel News Staff
A released Israeli hostage on Monday revealed harrowing details about the hostages’ ordeal in Hamas captivity, including four women who told her they had been brutally sexually assaulted.
“The women were sexually abused by their Hamas captors,” Chen Goldstein-Almog who was kidnapped on October 7 during Hamas’ attack along with three of her children from her home in Kfar Aza, told the Kan public broadcaster.
“With the way they sexually assaulted them and desecrated their bodies, they don’t know how they will move on,” she said of the women, who apparently are still in captivity. “If they had been released earlier, they would have been spared. We also saw a guy who was beaten.”
“Everything must be done to get them out,” she added.
Goldstein-Almog expressed initial hope that Israel would prioritize their safe release, but as military actions in Gaza escalated, fears grew that their lives were being overshadowed by “broader strategic goals,” she said.
She and her children were released as part of a temporary truce deal on November 26.
During captivity, Goldstein-Almog and her children faced a range of challenges, from “emotional repression” to acute hunger. They were initially housed in an apartment with a telephone line but were later moved frequently due to increasing airstrikes. In that apartment, Goldstein-Almog was warned that if she didn’t limit her movements, her captors would harm her.
Despite the ordeal, Goldstein-Almog was struck by her children’s resilience and adaptability, noting their ability to communicate with their captors and engage in creative activities like writing and drawing.
“I was blow away by the composure of my children both on the day of our capture, and their resilience throughout the ordeal.”
“They learned many words in Arabic. They wrote and drew extensively,” she said.
The release process was fraught with uncertainty. “It took two to three days after we were told ‘today you are on the list’ for our release to actually happen,” she said. The cautious joy was tempered by the knowledge that others remained in captivity, including women and children in dire need of medical and psychological care, she said.
“We’re trying to rebuild something new from the pieces of our shattered lives, but our minds are still with the girls who are left there,” she said.
At least 10 of the Israeli civilians freed by Hamas — both men and women — suffered sexual assault or abuse in captivity.
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