Ilana Gritzewsky Exposes Hamas Sexual Torture in Knesset Testimony

Former Hamas hostage Ilana Gritzewsky delivered searing testimony before the Knesset’s Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy Subcommittee on Monday, revealing the sexual violence she endured during captivity following her abduction on October 7.

Gritzewsky recounted the moment she was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz, describing a brutal ride to Gaza forced onto a motorcycle between two Hamas terrorists, one of whom sexually assaulted her, causing her to lose consciousness before crossing into Gaza.

“I remember the gun pressed to my head, I remember them laughing as they dragged me by my hair, I remember dirty hands stealing everything I was,” she told lawmakers. Upon awakening in Gaza, she found herself half-naked among seven militants. Claiming she was menstruating likely saved her from further sexual assault.

Gritzewsky emphasized the systematic nature of the abuse. “I became property, a captive they could touch… leave me in nothing but underwear and a bra whenever they wanted,” she testified. Her partner, Captain Matan Zangauker, remains in captivity.

Her testimony was presented alongside the Dinah Project report, the most comprehensive document to date documenting Hamas’s campaign of sexual violence as a deliberate weapon of war. The report is based on survivor accounts, eyewitnesses, and forensic evidence, finding at least 15 separate incidents many amounted to rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, and forced nudity.

Gritzewsky warned that Israel must act swiftly to return the 50 hostages still held in Gaza, criticizing political hesitation. “My country is silent. Why does your political fear outweigh the lives of real people?” she demanded.

Her testimony underscores the urgent need for a targeted legal framework to prosecute sexual violence in conflict an approach championed by the Dinah Project, which recommends recognizing such crimes as distinct wartime offenses that constitute crimes against humanity.

Ilana Gritzewsky’s harrowing account shines a light on the hidden horrors of Hamas captivity and delivers an urgent call for national resolve rescue the remaining hostages and bring justice to bear on those responsible.

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