A White House conference on sexual assault and rape during conflict hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris featured Amit Soussana, a former captive released from Hamas captivity, as a key speaker.
The Israeli woman, who was released during the November 2023 hostage deal with Hamas after sh was taken from her home during the Oct. 7 atrocities, took the stage to share her harrowing experience. In her opening remarks, she poignantly stated, "It is difficult for me to speak about what I endured, but remaining silent is even more challenging. The sexual abuse I suffered should never happen to anyone; there is no justification for it."
Soussana's testimony after her release from captivity was a gut-punch for all. In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, she described the severe abuse she endured during her 55-day captivity by Hamas, from the moment of her abduction in Gaza until her release on November 30, 2023.
Video: Amit Soussana during her speech at the White House / Credit: White House/YouTube
Despite the immense difficulty, Soussana courageously continued, "I told myself that if I survived, I would not allow this experience to define me. Being held captive means having no control over your soul, body, or spirit. You have virtually no control over what happens to you." She emphasized, "I cannot heal as long as the captives there continue to suffer. I promised to fight for my brothers who are still held captive."
Reflecting on her ordeal, she said, "If you had told me a few months ago, when I was in captivity, that I would be here and meet the vice president, I would have said you had lost your mind. I am not a victim; I am a strong, independent woman, and I will not let them take that away from me. No woman should have to endure the sexual assault I experienced in captivity. At the time, I had no choice, but now I can speak about the horrific things that women and men still endure there."
During her interview with the Times, she recounted being beaten and dragged by ten armed men during her documented abduction. The captor who guarded her, who called himself Muhammad, slept outside the bedroom where she was held. After a few days in captivity, he began inquiring about her sexual life while she was alone in a child's bedroom, shackled at the ankle. According to her account, the guard would enter, sit beside her, lift her shirt, and touch her.
She described a harrowing sexual assault, stating that one day, the captor unchained her left ankle and left her alone in the bathroom. As she showered, the captor entered, stood by the door with a gun pointed at her. Sosnah recounted how quickly Muhammad approached her, pressed the gun to her forehead, forced her to remove her towel, and then began touching her.
