Amit Soussana in a Washington rally to release the hostages
Vice President Kamala Harris said that she feared testimonies of sexual violence would only increase, at an event held to highlight efforts to reduce conflict-related sexual violence around the world, praising Amit Soussana, who was held captive in Gaza for 55 days and freed in the first cease-fire agreement in November.
"We cannot look away and we will not be silent," she said. "Hamas committed rape and gang rape at the Nova party. The bodies of women were found naked from the waist down, their hands bound behind their backs, and shot in the head," Harris said.
Soussana who first shared her harrowing experience of sexual violence in an interview with the New York Times, and later spoke on camera to Sheryl Sandberg in a documentary that was screened at the event told Harris and the participants that as a hostage, she had no control over what would happen to her or over her body.
"If someone had told me a few months ago when I was sitting in a dark room in Gaza, tied up and unable to speak, that I would stand here today, I would have thought they were crazy," Soussana said. "Being held captive means having no control over what happens to you and your body. Everything is dictated by someone else. I had no voice, no choice, and no control over my life," she said.
"I do not see myself as a victim; I am a strong and independent woman. The sexual assault I endured should not happen to anyone. I vowed that if I survived, I would emerge stronger and not let it define me." Now, she said she can speak out about the atrocities that are still taking place against the hostages who remain in Hamas's hands.
Soussana spoke at a rally in Washington two days prior, expressing the difficulty of standing there while 120 hostages remained in Gaza. She stressed the urgency of securing their release, saying, "I am doing this because I understand how every action can help bring my friends home. Everyone needs to be released quickly and safely; they need to be released now. I know. I was there. Every second counts."
Describing the constant fear and psychological terror, Soussana said, "When you are held by Hamas, you are perpetually on edge. A gun is literally pointed at your head. Things can deteriorate drastically within seconds. Every day in captivity brought new threats, experiences I couldn't have imagined even in my worst nightmares." She urged, "From here, I call on my fellow hostages – please, stay strong. The darkness will end. It must end, and we will bring you back to the light."