The Testimony of Israeli Hostage Amit Soussana: A Harrowing Account of Hamas’s Sexual Assault & Torture

The Testimony of Israeli Hostage Amit Soussana: A Harrowing Account of Hamas’s Sexual Assault & Torture  

Edited by: TJVNews.com

On March 26, The New York Times published a harrowing interview with Amit Soussana, a 40-year-old Israeli lawyer from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who was abducted and held captive by Hamas terrorists following their brutal assault on Israel on October 7. Soussana’s testimony, which spans an eight-hour interview, provides chilling details of the horrors she endured, including sexual assault at gunpoint by her captors. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has highlighted the gravity of her testimony, not only as a personal tragedy but as a broader indictment of Hamas’s systemic use of sexual violence as a tool of terror.

According to the FDD, on October 7, at least ten Hamas terrorists stormed Soussana’s home, violently abducting her and dragging her into Gaza. For weeks, she endured unimaginable fear and deprivation. Approximately two to three weeks after her abduction, one of her captors sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. As she described in her interview, “He came towards me and shoved the gun at my forehead. Then he, with the gun pointed at me, forced me to commit a sexual act on him.”

The FDD experts emphasized that Soussana’s testimony highlights not only the brutal treatment of hostages but also the disturbing silence from many international organizations when confronted with the gender-based atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.

On November 30, Hamas released Soussana as part of a temporary, week-long ceasefire agreement. During this pause, 81 Israeli hostages, including Soussana, were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. However, the FDD noted in March that approximately 130 hostages remain trapped in Gaza, with Israeli authorities believing that at least 34 of them are no longer alive. Today, it is believed that less that 100 hostages are still in Gaza.

Despite the global outcry, the situation for the remaining hostages remains dire. On March 22, the United States abstained from voting on a United Nations Security Council resolution that demanded an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, without requiring the release of hostages. FDD experts have criticized this abstention as a failure of leadership and moral clarity.

Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network, described the U.S. abstention as “a cowardly capitulation.” She stated: “This brave woman’s testimony is a rebuke to the Biden administration after America’s cowardly capitulation at the Security Council this week. Over 130 hostages remain in Gaza — experiencing the horrors of captivity — including women, children, and Americans. Biden promised to do everything in his power to bring the hostages back, only to sell them out at Turtle Bay.”

Toby Dershowitz, Managing Director of FDD Action, emphasized that Soussana’s account should ignite global outrage, but also serve as a catalyst for concrete action. In her words: “Amit Soussana’s testimony should cause all people, no matter their nationality or religion, to feel horrified and outraged about Hamas’s brutality. But outrage by itself is not a policy. Words condemning sexual violence and abuse committed against women are only the first step. Our leaders must exert concrete pressure on Hamas in Gaza and in Doha to release all hostages — who are American, Israeli, and other nationalities — as if these women were their daughters, sisters, spouses, or mothers.”

The FDD has consistently highlighted the critical need for sustained diplomatic and economic pressure on Hamas leadership, both in Gaza and in their political offices in Doha. According to the FDD, without decisive international pressure, hostage negotiations will continue to drag on, and more lives will remain in jeopardy.

The FDD stresses that Hamas’s actions constitute not only war crimes but also egregious violations of international norms against sexual violence in conflict zones. Despite these clear violations, the international community’s response has been fragmented and, in some cases, ineffectual.

The abstention by the United States at the UN Security Council represents, according to FDD experts, a missed opportunity to reinforce the non-negotiable demand for the release of hostages as part of any ceasefire agreement. By failing to set this precondition, the resolution risks enabling further abuses and prolonging the suffering of hostages like Soussana.

In a damning report published on March 4, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, revealed findings from a two-week investigation into the atrocities committed during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. Conducted between January 29 and February 14, the investigation reviewed over 5,000 photos, 50 hours of audio and video evidence, and included testimonies from more than 30 survivors and eyewitnesses. The FDD indicated that these findings provide irrefutable evidence of Hamas’s systemic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

According to the FDD, the UN team concluded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred at several locations across the Gaza periphery, including rape and gang rape.” This revelation exposes a deeply disturbing layer of Hamas’s brutal tactics. Additionally, the investigation found “clear and convincing information” that Hamas terrorists committed sexual crimes against female hostages in captivity.

The FDD highlighted that these findings align with earlier investigations conducted by The New York Times and the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, which published their own reports in December and February. Both corroborated the use of sexual violence by Hamas terrorists, reinforcing the credibility of the UN’s conclusions.

Despite mounting evidence, Hamas continues to categorically deny any involvement in sexual crimes. However, the FDD pointed out that captured Hamas terrorists have admitted to rape during interrogations with Israeli authorities. This contradiction emphasizes the necessity of holding Hamas accountable in international forums.

The FDD noted with concern the sluggish international acknowledgment of these crimes. It took UN Secretary-General António Guterres seven weeks—until November 29—to publicly acknowledge reports of sexual violence committed during Hamas’s attack. Similarly, UN Women, the agency specifically tasked with promoting women’s rights and addressing gender-based violence, waited until December 1 to formally condemn Hamas’s “gender-based atrocities and sexual violence.”

This delay, as highlighted by the FDD, represents a glaring failure of international institutions to respond swiftly and decisively to clear evidence of war crimes.

The FDD emphasized Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s candid assessment of the situation during a December 10 interview with CNN. Blinken stated that Hamas’s violence against Israeli women was “beyond anything that I’ve seen.” He went on to question the inexplicable delay from “countries, leaders, and international organizations” in addressing these atrocities with the urgency they demanded.

For the FDD, Blinken’s statement serves as both an acknowledgment of the gravity of Hamas’s crimes and a challenge to the global community to confront their failures in addressing such gender-based atrocities.

The FDD warned that the UN report represents more than just an accounting of past crimes—it serves as a test of the international community’s resolve. The evidence is clear, the testimonies are harrowing, and the perpetrators are identified. Yet, meaningful action remains elusive.

Hamas’s systemic use of sexual violence not only constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law but also underscores the broader failure of global institutions to enforce accountability consistently. The FDD stressed that allowing such crimes to go unanswered sets a dangerous precedent for future conflicts, where sexual violence may continue to be weaponized with impunity.

The FDD asserted that the evidence presented by the UN, along with independent investigations from reputable sources, leaves no room for ambiguity. The global community must take immediate action to:

1 – Hold Hamas accountable through international legal mechanisms.

2 –  Ensure the release of remaining hostages, many of whom are women and children still at risk of further abuse.

3 –  Demand transparency and consistency from international organizations in addressing sexual violence in conflict zones.

4 – The Foundation for Defense of Democracies call attention to the fact that sexual violence in conflict is not merely a tragic byproduct of war—it is a deliberate strategy aimed at dehumanization and terror.

The findings of the UN investigation, as amplified by the FDD, should serve as an undeniable call to action for the international community. Governments, policymakers, and global organizations must rise above political considerations and address these crimes with the urgency and moral clarity they demand.

Failure to do so risks emboldening perpetrators, eroding international norms, and perpetuating a cycle of impunity. As the FDD stressed, the world must treat the survivors of Hamas’s atrocities not as distant statistics but as human beings whose suffering demands justice.