Sexual Violence in Hamas Captivity: Accounts from Former Hostages

Romi Gonen, a former Israeli hostage, has publicly shared her harrowing experiences of sexual assault and harassment during her 471 days in captivity by Hamas. Gonen, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, recounted her ordeal in a two-part interview on Israel’s Channel 12 program Uvda. She described multiple incidents of sexual violence, including being assaulted by a supposed medic shortly after her abduction. “He was a ‘nurse’ so he allowed himself to ‘help me,’” Gonen stated, reflecting on the helplessness she felt during the assault.

CNN

Gonen's captivity included a particularly traumatic 16-day period where she was repeatedly harassed by two captors, identified as Ibrahim and Muhammed. She detailed the psychological torment she endured, stating, “I start crying insanely, and he says, ‘Be careful. If you don’t calm down, I’ll get angry.’” Gonen also revealed that senior Hamas commanders attempted to silence her story, offering her a deal to keep quiet in exchange for a promise of release.

CNN

Gonen is not alone in her experiences. A report by the Dinah Project, a group of Israeli researchers, found that 13 women and two men reported experiencing or witnessing sexual violence while held hostage by Hamas. The report concluded that Hamas employed sexual violence as a systematic tactic during the October 7 attacks, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 abductions.

CNN

In a related account, Segev Kalfon, another former hostage, described his own traumatic experiences during two years of captivity. Kalfon faced severe physical torture and starvation, recounting how his captors used bicycle chains as whips. He emphasized the psychological impact of his captivity, stating, “I was living in the body of a dead person, living in a grave.”

Associated Press

International bodies, including the United Nations, have acknowledged the use of sexual violence by Hamas as a weapon of war. A 2024 report by UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, found “reasonable grounds to believe” that sexual violence, including rape, occurred during the October 7 attacks. Hamas has consistently denied these allegations.

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Critics of Hamas have highlighted the need for accountability regarding the reported sexual violence against hostages. The testimonies of Gonen and Kalfon have sparked discussions about the broader implications of such abuses in conflict situations and the necessity for international intervention.

CNN

• “Only when you’re in this situation can you grasp what happens to the body. And fear – it sometimes paralyzes,” — Romi Gonen

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• “And I had to continue living with him in that house afterward.” — Romi Gonen

CNN

• “I was in the lowest place a person can be before death, the lowest.” — Segev Kalfon

Associated Press

• “I felt it with my body. I saw it with my own eyes.” — Segev Kalfon

Associated Press

The testimonies of former hostages like Romi Gonen and Segev Kalfon reveal the severe psychological and physical toll of captivity under Hamas, highlighting the urgent need for recognition and action against the use of sexual violence in conflict.

The Jerusalem Report