All the female Israeli hostages are being raped or sexually abused, a former Hamas captive revealed Tuesday — as she begged Israel’s Knesset not to go on its planned extended recess, given the crisis.
Ex-hostage Mia Regev revealed the devastating news during an emergency debate before the Israeli parliament’s Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality.
“Every day, there is an emergency, and every minute counts. What will the women do there? What will the rest of the captives do there?” Regev said, referring to the Knesset’s planned upcoming break of more than five weeks, according to the Jerusalem Post. “Every girl there is sexually harassed in one way or another.”
Regev said it is “unbelievable” that the parliament would go on such a relatively long recess while hostages are still being held captive.
Families of those being held have called on the Knesset to postpone its recess and “join the struggle to free the hostages” and to replace Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “who is a barrier to a deal” to free them, the outlet reported.
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“If the hostages have no freedom, neither will elected officials,” the families said.
Sharon Cunio, who was released from captivity last year, said the “terror is never-ending” under Hamas’ control and is “indescribable.”
“It is the never-ending terror that you will be hurt, that there is no one to save you and that you are at the mercy of Hamas,” Cunio said.
Cunio, whose husband is still in captivity, begged lawmakers to also “not forget the men.”
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“My husband is my strength, and I have no strength left,” she said. “You must reach a deal for everyone, even if in stages.”
Yarden Gonen, whose sister Romi Gonen is still a captive, said, “Why do I need to be here and beg?
“Why are you letting my sister remain there? What did she do wrong?”
The women’s pleas come after Amit Soussana, 40, became the first hostage to speak publicly about the abuse she suffered, including being forced at gunpoint to perform a sexual act.