Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
Guy Gilboa-Dalal, an Israeli individual held captive by Hamas for over two years, has made the grave disclosure that he was sexually assaulted during his time in Gaza. He stands as the first male hostage to openly address the issue of sexual abuse by Hamas.
Kidnapped alongside his friend Evyatar David on October 7, 2023, at the Nova music festival amidst Hamas's extensive attack that initiated the Gaza war, both hostages remained in Gaza for more than two years. They appeared in a Hamas video in February 2025, pleading for their release.
In a recent interview, Gilboa-Dalal recounted the details of the assault. He indicated that after being permitted to shower, his captor forcibly removed him from the shower, denied him the chance to dress, and threw him onto an armchair. The captor proceeded to inappropriately touch him while menacingly wielding a rifle and a knife, cautioning him that death awaited if he spoke of the abuse.
When queried about whether the assault was a singular occurrence, Gilboa-Dalal affirmed it was not, although he refrained from elaborating further. He shared attempts to invoke his captor's religious beliefs by asserting that such actions were against Islamic teachings, but the threats persisted.
Gilboa-Dalal and David were ultimately released on October 13, 2025, alongside 19 other surviving hostages, pursuant to a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel established on October 10. This marked the conclusion of more than two years of captivity, during which they faced unthinkable hardships.
The Israeli government has voiced deep concern regarding Gilboa-Dalal's testimony. A spokesperson remarked that hearing such accounts from released hostages is “painstaking and heartbreaking,” yet vital for understanding the atrocities suffered during captivity by Hamas.
Previously, Amit Soussana's testimony in March 2024, as the first hostage to reveal sexual abuse by a Hamas captor, highlighted a disturbing pattern of abuse endured by hostages.
Gilboa-Dalal’s courageous account brings to light the severe human rights violations that hostages face in the Gaza conflict and emphasizes the lasting psychological and physical impacts of such experiences.
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