Women made sure none of them was left on her own, when they were in a group during their captivity while families fear Hamas was refusing to free those who were victims of rape.
Read more:
Yarden Roman-Gat, who was held in seclusion from other captives told CBS 60 minutes last she was never free from the watchful eyes of her male captors. "not for a minute," she said. "you can not object to anything, it can cost you your life." Yarden said describing how her the men guarding her gave her a hijab, with which she covered her body. "I got the very strong feeling that this fabric is my only protection. I didn't know how effective it was, " she said.
She said that as a woman the fear of being raped was ever present adding she was helpless.
"Yarden's brave testimony should reach everyone in the world. The kidnappers make use of every weakness that the abductees held by them have - they become a tool in their hands," her husband's cousin Gil said and her sister-in-law Carmel is still held hostage. "I don't know under what conditions Carmel is being held there - but according to Yarden's testimony, her starting point causes concern."
He said that from the testimony of one of the older women who had come back, he learned that the women who were held in a group would take "shifts" so that no one would be left alone even for a single moment. "What happened to the women on October 7, is not a one-time event. As soon as you have the body of an abducted person - all options are open, it is disturbing and frightening," he said.
"It is clear to me that the danger they faced on the day of the kidnapping remained over them throughout their time in captivity. This is exactly what Yarden described in the interview, the terror that the kidnappers controlled her, living with constant fear," he added.
Gil said he was constantly aware of comments made by US State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, about concerns that Hamas does not want to release the women who were raped because they do not want them to reveal what had happened to them. "When they left Carmel there, they broke the promise not to divide family members. I am sure that this is part of Hamas's effort to divide us and to divide hostages into categories," Gil said.
4 View gallery
Protest march to release all hostages near IDF HQ
(Photo: Families of abductees headquarters)
"I believe that Carmel was supposed to return to us in the next planned release - which did not happen when Hamas' violated the cease-fire agreement. The very negotiation they are forcing us to engage in over the lives of citizens is a blatant violation of any international convention," he concluded.
Shai Dickman, Gil's sister, said she was for her brother following Yarden's testimony. "I try to put myself in the moment of her abduction - when she leaves her family members at home, not knowing what happened to them, when she is taken from her home and probably sees her mother's dead body outside her house, I fear for her mental and emotional strength. To go through such an experience and survive in captivity for 75 days. She is a strong woman with incredible mental and physical resilience - but as Carmel's father says, one should not put her abilities to the test," She said.
"As a woman - I fear for Carmel all the time. When I go to the bathroom and lock the door. When I go to bed and wonder who might be next to her when she sleeps. According to Yarden's testimony, Carmel does not have these 'privileges'. I want to believe that it depends on her as much as possible, that she manages to keep her body and her soul. Unfortunately, sexual assault is not under the control of the victim. We need to do everything to get her back as soon as possible," Shai said.
I want to believe that it depends on her as much as possible, that she manages to keep her body and her soul.
Like Gil, Shai also believed that Carmel was close to returning home. "Starting on October 7, my heart shut down. When Yarden returned, it opened completely, I went to buy a yoga mat for Carmel, I thought about what I would prepare for the Friday dinner she would eat with us. After the deal blew up, the only thing that kept me going were the testimonies of Carmel's struggle in captivity, giving yoga and meditation classes to the hostages, being caring and vital, as I know her. She gave me inspiration and strength to keep fighting," she concluded.
Yarden Gonen, 23, sister of Romi who was abducted from the Nova Festival in Re'im, said that for her, "every minute that passes when she is there makes this more disturbing. As women, we know very what it is to feel unsafe, even in a familiar environment. I can't imagine how insecure they feel there. We know from the testimonies of women who were released, about sexual harassment and abuse that they went through, even a month after the kidnapping. This proves Yarden's words, 'the fear is always present'."
"There are terrible dangers for a woman in captivity, beyond the mental harm she will have to deal with later in life, the physical abuse and the danger of sexual assault are critical at these moments. I don't want to go into harsh graphic descriptions - but it is clear that the threat of captivity is different for women than for men," she added.
The 15 women who are still held captive by Hamas in Gaza include: Noa Argamani, Shiri Bibas, Arbel Yehoud, Romi Gonen, Amit Buskila, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Doron Steinbrecher, Judy Weinstein, Emily Demari, Daniel Gilboa, Naama Levy, Liri Elbag, Karina Ariev and Agam Berger.
In addition, four women were kidnapped and murdered in captivity, and their bodies are still being held in Gaza: the late Mia Goren, the late Shani Louk, the late Inbar Haiman and the late Ofra Kidar.