Freed Hostage Details Sexual Assault and Torture During Captivity in Gaza
A former hostage released last month from Gaza revealed today that he endured repeated sexual assault and torture during over two years of captivity by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists.
Rom Braslavski, a security guard at the Nova festival, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led attack on Israel that left over 1,200 people dead. In excerpts of an interview with Israel’s Channel 13, set to air in full tonight, Braslavski described being stripped, bound, and starved by his captors. “I was torn apart, dying, with no food,” he said. “I prayed to God, ‘Please, save me, get me out of this already.’” He stated the sexual violence was intended to humiliate him, adding, “It’s something even the Nazis didn’t do.”
Braslavski’s testimony marks the first instance of a male former hostage publicly reporting sexual assault during captivity, following similar accounts from several freed female hostages. He recounted a daily struggle for survival, stating, “You just pray for it to stop…every day, every beating—I’d say to myself, ‘I survived another day in hell.’” His mother previously shared that he was whipped and beaten, and pressured to convert to Islam. This revelation adds to the growing body of evidence detailing the brutality faced by hostages held in Gaza, and underscores the long-term trauma they will endure. More information about the October 7th attacks can be found at the United Nations report on the attacks.
Braslavski was among the final group of 20 living hostages released as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas last month. Israeli officials have accused international organizations of failing to adequately condemn the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas and other militant groups, and are calling for increased accountability. The Times of Israel has ongoing coverage of the hostage situation.
The full interview with Braslavski will be broadcast tonight on Channel 13, and authorities say they will continue to provide support and resources to all returning hostages.
