Published January 16, 2024
Freed Israeli hostage Agam Goldstein-Almog told Israel’s Channel 13 on Tuesday that fellow female hostages were raped repeatedly by their Hamas captors in Gaza, and that her own captors threatened to forcibly “marry” her as well.
Goldstein-Almog, who saw her father murdered by Hamas terrorists before being kidnapped, said that she and fellow hostages briefly thought about trying to escape, when her captors were sleeping, but that they were too frightened.
Earlier this month, Goldstein-Almog told a protest that gathered in Tel Aviv to mark 100 days since the Hamas terror attack of October 7 about her experiences. The Jerusalem Post reported:
Recounting her kidnapping, Almog described the terror: “My father was shot immediately as he stood by the safe room, clutching my sister’s bed board. He screamed ‘No no no’ as we, huddled in a corner, were forcibly taken, stepping over his body without a chance to say goodbye. The chaos was deafening.”
In captivity, Almog faced the constant threat of death, unsure of how or when it might come – through torture, shooting, or air force bombings. She also witnessed the plight of other girls, “Many experienced severe sexual assaults and complex injuries, left untreated. We had to bandage ourselves or help each other.”
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After moving from a house to a tunnel, Almog was exposed to another harsh experience. “Suddenly a door opens and six girls were waiting, and then we realized that there are girls who were alone. Many girls experienced severe sexual assaults, they were wounded with very severe and complex injuries that are untreated. They bandaged themselves or we helped them do so.” She added, “I can’t even imagine what their condition is, what hope they are clinging to.”
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SOURCE: www.breitbart.com
RELATED: Israel readies for possibility of pregnancies in female hostages raped by Hamas
When the pregnancy is a result of a terrorist who previously murdered her relatives and brutally raped her, the emotional aftermath is unimaginable, leaving lasting psychological scars.
Published January 14, 2024
The Israeli medical community, usually reluctant to consider such scenarios, has recently actively been preparing for the appalling possibility of several female hostages who were raped in captivity and subsequently become pregnant.
According to sources who spoke with Maariv, there have been comprehensive discussions in hospitals across the country about preparing for the return of Israeli hostages who have been sexually assaulted by Hamas terrorists and are currently at different stages of pregnancy.
Israeli law permits abortions, granting women the autonomy to decide their course of action. However, the state is now faced with the daunting task of addressing the enduring trauma that will affect the victims and their families for a lifetime.
Sunday represents the 100th day since the Hamas massacre, and among the 136 hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip are women who are shrouded in a heavy cloud of concern, a topic not discussed enough. Reports from October 7 indicated that the terrorists committed heinous acts of rape, and testimonies from some of the returned hostages suggested that the women endured sexual harassment, possibly including rape, while in captivity.
These disturbing assessments have prompted gynecologists to hold internal discussions in recent weeks about the dreadful possibility that captives were raped and have been pregnant for several weeks.
A BILLBOARD in Tel Aviv displays the photos of the hostages currently being held by Hamas in Gaza. (credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)
Risks of pregnancy
Each passing day not only heightens the risk for the pregnant captive, as the woman’s body is in a state of specific immunosuppression during pregnancy, but the challenging hygienic conditions in the Strip also increase the risk of severe infections and endanger the mother from severe pregnancy complications without any medical oversight. Perhaps most significantly, it’s the profound psychological trauma of a woman carrying a fetus resulting from the brutal rape by a murderous terrorist.
Unlike many countries where abortion is prohibited or allowed only up to the 23rd week of pregnancy, Israeli law permits abortions up to the moment of birth. Abortions can be authorized by a regular termination committee up to the 24th week of pregnancy. Beyond this period, terminations are overseen by a special committee of senior doctors, which also consider cases of fetuses with congenital disabilities, the mother’s mental health, or even pregnancies resulting from rape. In Israel, both committees consistently approve abortions in rape cases.
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SOURCE: www.jpost.com
RELATED: Israeli doctors: Many of 30 released female hostages were assaulted in Gaza
All released female hostages of childbearing age were subjected to pregnancy tests and screening for sexually transmitted infections
A woman holds a banner reading “Bring them home” during a demonstration calling for the release of Israeli hostages, outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, now informally called the “Hostages Square” in Israel.MARCO LONGARI / AFP
Published December 23, 2023
Two Israeli doctors who treated freed hostages, as well as an Israeli military official familiar with the matter, confirmed to American newspaper USA TODAY that some released women revealed that they had suffered violent sexual assaults in captivity. All three spoke on condition of anonymity.
One of the doctors said that among those aged 12 to 48, man of the 30 suffered sexual assault during their captivity at the hands of Hamas in Gaza.
The doctor chose not to detail the specific nature of the assaults, while emphasizing that victims of sexual abuse generally have a four times higher risk of mortality than people who have not suffered such abuse.
He said all released female hostages of childbearing age were subjected to pregnancy tests and screening for sexually transmitted infections.
The second doctor observed that many released female hostages showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, noting that they came for help as patients deeply traumatized by extremely serious sexual assaults.
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SOURCE: www.i24news.tv
