Amit Soussana, a former hostage of Hamas, is opening up about her time as a captive, revealing the pivotal role another hostage played in her survival. Liri Albag, an IDF soldier who was also taken captive on Oct. 7, is credited with “saving” Soussana.
During an exclusive interview on the Israeli Channel 12 investigative program “Uvda,” Soussana recounted the harrowing moments of being bound, beaten, and pressured by her captors to admit she was part of the IDF. She described how she was tied up, physically assaulted with a stick, and threatened with a gun, with one captor giving her a limited time to confess before death.
Amit Soussana was released after 55 days of hell in a hostage deal. (Getty Images)
A significant moment came in March 2024 when Soussana broke the silence by publicly addressing her experience of being sexually assaulted while in captivity under Hamas. The New York Times featured an interview where Soussana detailed the traumatic ordeal. Furthermore, Soussana went on to give a testimony at the UN Security Council in October 2024 to shed light on her ordeal.
Amit Soussana spoke before the UN on Wednesday, sharing her harrowing experience as a hostage. Hamas terrorists abducted her on Oct. 7, 2023. (UNTV)
During her captivity, Soussana was chained by her ankle, unable to move. “I had to ask for permission to use the bathroom,” she explained, detailing her experience. “In that house, I was sexually assaulted by the Hamas terrorist who had guarded me.”
She described the assault, saying, “He forced me to go to the shower and entered the room, pointed his gun at me. He was breathing heavily and had a monstrous beast-like face.” She recalled his intrusive questioning while he sat next to her in his underwear, lifting her shirt and touching her. “I knew exactly what he was planning to do, and yet I couldn’t do anything to prevent it. I was utterly helpless.”
Soussana said that after the assault she was not “allowed to cry or to be sad.” She recalled feeling isolated and being “forced to act nice to the person who had just sexually assaulted me.”
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a deadly war for over 15 months following the terror group’s devastating surprise attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas is expected to release Agam Berger, Arbel Yehoud and 80-year-old Gadi Moses on Jan. 30 as part of the current ceasefire deal with Israel.
