Against the backdrop of the silence of the world and the UN Women's Organization, and the unheard of the rapes and mass sexual assaults committed on Saturday, October 7, the headquarters of the families of the abductees submitted a medical report to the Red Cross detailing the dangers to which the women and children abducted by Hamas are exposed.
A father of two abductees in Gaza wept at a press conference: "They are being raped there?! Are they in the ditch?!" // Moshe Ben Simhon
The report was prepared by Prof. Hagai Levin, a public health expert, who serves as the head of the medical team at the headquarters of the families of the abductees. Levin mentions the Geneva Convention, which contains provisions related to the treatment of women in captivity during armed conflict, and emphasizes the need to protect women from violence and sexual abuse and to preserve their dignity and health. "Sexual violence, including rape, is an instrument of power in warfare, designed to humiliate, subdue, and conquer the enemy. Sexual assault is one of the war tactics used to subdue the civilian population and sow destruction and chaos," the report said.
Indeed, interrogation videos released to the media show that the terrorists received religious training to commit acts of rape, abuse and mutilation of bodies, as part of a deliberate strategy and with the aim of sowing fear among the Israeli population. The report notes that a significant proportion of abducted women cope with complex medical conditions and suffer from various health problems, including breast cancer, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, depression and anxiety – conditions that require appropriate medical and drug treatment.
The mother of the abductee Maya there at the press conference, photo: Gideon Markowitz
"Denying access to essential medical care, including the injuries sustained during their violent abduction, is torture and contravenes all human principles and international conventions and endangers their lives," the report said, detailing the challenges faced by women in captivity. Among other things, injuries caused as a result of the violent abduction and the lack of appropriate medical treatment may lead to irreversible damage to the limbs and spine. Women who have been raped are at risk of serious and dangerous injuries and the development of complications. Sexually transmitted infections can lead to serious chronic illness and death. Rape can also lead to unwanted pregnancies, life-threatening miscarriages, and causes immediate mental harm.
Mothers who have been separated from their babies and children and do not know what happened to them suffer from stress, depression and functional difficulties. Breastfeeding women who have been kidnapped may suffer from mastitis, abscess formation, and reduced milk production. Pregnant women are at increased risk, as is their fetus, of complications that will endanger the pregnancy, the fetus and the mother.
Abducted Yocheved Lifshitz at Ichilov Hospital, Photo: Jenny Yerushalmi - Ichilov Spokesperson's Office
"We appeal for the immediate and urgent release of the abductees in order to safeguard their basic human rights and provide them with the essential medical and psychological care they need to heal from the profound physical and emotional consequences of the difficult events they have undergone. At this point, no contact has been established between the Red Cross and the hostages. This inhumane situation puts the hostages at increased risk of further violence and neglect," the report said.
Gal Hirsch with the abductees released from Hamas captivity, photo: uncredited
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