A former Israeli hostage who was released last month has told Israeli TV that he was sexually assaulted during his two years in captivity in Gaza.
In an interview with Channel 13's Hazinor programme, Rom Braslavski, 21, described being stripped naked and tied up by members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
It was sexual violence, and its main purpose was humiliation. Its goal was to humiliate me, to crush my dignity, he said.
He is the first man held hostage to allege publicly that he was sexually assaulted.
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Rom Braslavski was on leave from his service as a soldier in the Israeli military and was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival when Hamas and allied Palestinian armed groups attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others as hostages.
Israel responded to the attacks by launching a military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 68,800 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Four weeks ago, Mr Braslavski was among the last 20 living Israeli hostages who were released under a US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In the interview with Channel 13, he said his treatment deteriorated after he refused to convert from Judaism to Islam in March this year, when the previous ceasefire collapsed.
He detailed being blindfolded for three weeks, subjected to torture, and experiencing multiple forms of physical abuse, including being punched and whipped. He stated that after a video showing him in distress was released, his captors began to sexually assault him upon claiming an order had been given for his torture.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog acknowledged Mr Braslavski's courage in sharing his traumatic experience and called for global recognition of the horrific actions perpetrated by terrorists in Gaza.
At least four women hostages have previously spoken out about their own experiences of sexual violence while in captivity.
In response to Mr Braslavski's claims, a PIJ official dismissed the allegations as incorrect. Meanwhile, the UN has reported evidence of sexual violence occurring during the conflict, noting systematic patterns of abuse against hostages.
In conclusion, Mr Braslavski's allegations highlight the urgent need for awareness regarding the extensive violence and abuse suffered by hostages in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
