Listen To Story Above
Israel is set to present a comprehensive report to the United Nations detailing the horrific treatment endured by Israeli hostages who were captured by Hamas during the October 7 attack. The document, which includes evidence of sexual violence and the disturbing practice of branding children, draws from medical records and testimonies collected over the past year from freed and rescued hostages.
The report, which will be delivered to U.N. Special Rapporteur Alice Edwards, who oversees matters related to torture and inhumane treatment, reveals disturbing patterns of abuse. The findings document widespread physical and sexual abuse against men, women, and children, including violent beatings, forced isolation, withholding of basic necessities, and various forms of sexual assault.
Don't forget about them.
Hamas is still holding them hostage. pic.twitter.com/m1E7nLxlvO
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 28, 2024
Medical care was systematically denied to captives, both for injuries sustained during the initial October 7 attack and for ongoing health conditions. The report details how untreated fractures, shrapnel wounds, and burns led to preventable complications requiring additional surgical interventions once victims returned to Israel. In some instances, captors inflicted further trauma by performing painful procedures without anesthesia.
Approximately half of the released hostages reported systematic starvation during their imprisonment, with inadequate food provisions leading to progressive malnutrition. The captives endured multiple forms of psychological torture, including isolation, unhygienic conditions, sleep deprivation, and exposure to propaganda designed to break their resilience.
The report documents particularly disturbing accounts of child abuse. Two children who were held together described being consistently restrained and beaten throughout their captivity, with physical examinations later confirming evidence of restraint marks and trauma-related scarring. In a particularly horrifying incident, two young children were found with burn marks on their lower extremities, with one child describing it as intentional branding with a heated implement – an account corroborated by adult witnesses who characterized it as a deliberately traumatic event.
This baby has been held hostage by Hamas for 440 days!
Bring them all home NOW!🎗 pic.twitter.com/GLfKNmlvFe
— Yossi BenYakar (@YossiBenYakar) December 19, 2024
The Times of Israel highlights additional details from the Hebrew version of the report, including evidence that Hamas forced two teenage captives “to perform sexual acts on one another.”
“The UN has the facts. It is morally obliged to do everything in its power to bring the hostages home now,” stated President Isaac Herzog in response to the report’s findings.
Currently, 100 hostages remain in Gaza, including seven Americans, with estimates suggesting up to two-thirds may still be alive.
