Former Israeli hostage Romi Gonen has revealed that she was sexually assaulted by four different men during her 471 days in captivity in Gaza, in a deeply disturbing interview aired on Israel’s Channel 12 programme Uvda on Thursday.

Abduction and early abuse

Gonen was abducted at the age of 23 from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Shot in the arm during the assault, she said she was first taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza. It was there, she alleged, that she experienced her first sexual abuse while injured and surrounded by multiple men.

She described being stripped of her belongings and clothes while in a vulnerable state, calling the experience dissociative and terrifying.

Assaults during captivity

In the hour-long interview, Gonen said she was moved between several private houses before being taken underground weeks later. Over the course of her captivity, she said she endured “different levels of severity” of sexual assault by four men.

One of the earliest assaults, she alleged, was committed by a man presented as a medic assigned to treat her injuries. She said the abuse continued even as she remained wounded and dependent on her captors.

‘The worst days’

Gonen described the most traumatic period as the 16 days she spent in a house in Gaza City’s Shati camp, where two men repeatedly assaulted her and controlled her movements. She said she lived under constant threat, was closely monitored even while using the bathroom, and was threatened with death if she spoke about the abuse.

She also recounted the psychological terror of missing her menstrual cycle, fearing she might be pregnant due to the assaults, which added to her trauma.

Speaking so others will know

Gonen said people often wonder about sexual violence faced by female hostages but rarely ask directly. “No one wants to hear the answer,” she said. By speaking publicly, she said she hopes to shed light on the reality faced by women held in captivity.

Her testimony comes amid renewed attention on crimes committed during and after the October 7 attack, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. While most hostages have since been released or rescued, the trauma endured by survivors continues to surface.