Released Gaza hostage tells of trauma, Hamas's sexual violence

Agam Goldstein Almog, a 17-year-old released after 51 days of captivity in Gaza, shared her harrowing experiences at a gathering in Tel Aviv's Square of the Kidnapped, marking 100 days of war. Her testimony highlighted the event, attended by thousands, including families of IDF casualties and kidnapped individuals.

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."

Regarding her experience in captivity, she said: "You live death. You don't know when it will catch you and what it will look like, whether it will happen through torture or if they just shoot you or from the air force bombings. You constantly think about what death will look like."

The conditions the hostages were subjected to

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."

Romi Cohen, whose twin brother, Nimrod, remains captive in Gaza, expressed her anguish, "We're stuck in the day of his kidnapping. He's enduring starvation, cold, sleep deprivation, and psychological trauma. At 19, he's just a child, his life barely begun."

He is in harsh conditions - severe hunger, cold, lack of sleep, and in a difficult mental state. He is 19, still a child. Just started life. It's unreasonable that he's in captivity," she said.

Cohen added: "I pass by his empty room and break down that he's not here. What will the future of the State of Israel look like when he and the other kidnapped aren't here? What sense of security is left for me when I wake up every morning to this horrifying reality? Who will assure me that it won't happen again. As time passes, I fear that people will forget and not rescue them from this hell. Don't leave them there alone. Their time is running out."

Imad Habka, the father of Lt. Col. Salman Habka who fell in battle, said on stage that "October 7 will forever be remembered in the pages of history as one of the saddest days for humanity, and especially for Israel. What happened that day will never be forgotten.

Israeli citizens went through a nightmare, torture, murder, and brutal kidnapping. Unfortunately, captives are still held in an ongoing nightmare and minimal living conditions."

According to Habka: "The government and its ministers made efforts to release them - but not enough. More hard work is needed to bring them home. My family and the Druze community stand with you, together we will do everything to release the captives. Prime Minister - you need to do more, put the captives as a top priority."