Israeli women who were hostages of Hamas in Gaza assured today in a committee of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) that those who remain captive in the Strip suffer sexual abuse by that Palestinian Islamist group, against which they continue the complaints of using sexual violence as a weapon of war since last October 7, when it attacked Israeli territory and sparked the current conflict.
Some women who were kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack and released in November appeared today in a parliamentary commission on victims of sexual and gender violence, before which they stated that some of the hostages in the Strip are treated like “dolls.” ” by their guardians.
“The terrorists bring inappropriate clothes, clothes for dolls, and they turn the girls into their dolls. Dolls on a rope with which you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” said former hostage Aviva Siegel, adding that she saw it “with her own eyes” while she was held captive in Gaza in the hands of Palestinian militias.
She, in turn, said she was concerned about the fact that women hostages still in Gaza are being raped, and noted that there are captive boys who “also suffer abuse” and are “puppets on a string,” Siegel added.
In total, according to Israeli data, 19 women remain captive in the Strip.
Qatar confirms “serious negotiations” for a truce in Gaza
Qatar confirmed today that there are “serious negotiations” between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip, but warned of the existence of “obstacles” in these talks, such as the rejection by the Israeli Government of the solution. of the two States.
“I cannot give details now, but we are involved in serious negotiations between the two parties, and that makes us optimistic,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari said at a press conference, lamenting that “there are several obstacles that affect the negotiations.”
Among these obstacles he listed the “rejection” of the Israeli Government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the creation of an independent Palestinian State and calls for the “displacement of the inhabitants of Gaza” out of the Palestinian enclave.
Likewise, he indicated that there is a “lack of trust” between Israel and Hamas after the assassination of the number two in the political office of the Islamist movement, Saleh al Arouri, at the beginning of January in Beirut, and that “contacts were cut off” with the leadership of the Palestinian group in Gaza “for some time.”
Jerusalem, (EFE).- Israeli women who were hostages of Hamas in Gaza assured today in a committee of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) that those who remain captive in the Strip suffer sexual abuse by that Palestinian Islamist group, against which they continue the complaints of using sexual violence as a weapon of war since last October 7, when it attacked Israeli territory and sparked the current conflict.
Some women who were kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack and released in November appeared today in a parliamentary commission on victims of sexual and gender violence, before which they stated that some of the hostages in the Strip are treated like “dolls.” ” by their guardians.
“The terrorists bring inappropriate clothes, clothes for dolls, and they turn the girls into their dolls. Dolls on a rope with which you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” said former hostage Aviva Siegel, adding that she saw it “with her own eyes” while she was held captive in Gaza in the hands of Palestinian militias.
She, in turn, said she was concerned about the fact that women hostages still in Gaza are being raped, and noted that there are captive boys who “also suffer abuse” and are “puppets on a string,” Siegel added.
In total, according to Israeli data, 19 women remain captive in the Strip.
Qatar confirms “serious negotiations” for a truce in Gaza
Qatar confirmed today that there are “serious negotiations” between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip, but warned of the existence of “obstacles” in these talks, such as the rejection by the Israeli Government of the solution. of the two States.
“I cannot give details now, but we are involved in serious negotiations between the two parties, and that makes us optimistic,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari said at a press conference, lamenting that “there are several obstacles that affect the negotiations.”
Among these obstacles he listed the “rejection” of the Israeli Government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the creation of an independent Palestinian State and calls for the “displacement of the inhabitants of Gaza” out of the Palestinian enclave.
Likewise, he indicated that there is a “lack of trust” between Israel and Hamas after the assassination of the number two in the political office of the Islamist movement, Saleh al Arouri, at the beginning of January in Beirut, and that “contacts were cut off” with the leadership of the Palestinian group in Gaza “for some time.”
At least 24 Israeli soldiers die in central Gaza
Meanwhile in Gaza, at least 21 soldiers died on Monday afternoon after two buildings with explosives collapsed on them in the center of the Strip, in what constitutes the deadliest event for Israeli troops since the beginning of the war. ground offensive in the enclave.
The Army announced today that the soldiers died near the Israeli community of Kissufim, when Palestinian militiamen launched an RPG at a tank, which generated an explosion that caused the collapse of two buildings where the troops were.
A military spokesperson confirmed to the Hebrew media that the causes of the accident are being investigated, specifically whether the explosion was the result of mines placed by the troops themselves.
Hours earlier, three other soldiers from the parachute brigade were killed in combat in the Khan Yunis area.
More than 500 casualties among Israeli troops
Israel’s war cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed its condolences to all of Israel and to the families of soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip yesterday, “the hardest day” of the war.
“Yesterday was one of the hardest days since the war broke out. “We lost 24 of our best sons, the heroes who fell defending the homeland along with the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a video message to the nation, along with the other prominent members of the war cabinet, Defense Minister Yoav Galant. ; and Minister Benny Gantz.
The prime minister sent a hug to the families of the fallen and a “prayer of peace” for the wounded; while he promised a “thorough examination” of the disaster.
After this incident, the total number of casualties in the Israeli ranks since the start of the war amounts to 219, to which must be added the 330 soldiers killed during the Hamas attack on October 7 on Israeli soil.
About 200 dead in Gaza, most in Khan Younis
On the Palestinian side, at least 195 people have died in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, most of them in the Khan Younis area, where Israel is concentrating its offensive and keeping the area’s two main hospitals, the Nasser and Al Amal.
Both the Gaza Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Red Crescent have reported artillery attacks against these two centers since yesterday.
“The Nasser medical complex is exposed to shrapnel, endangering the lives of patients, staff and displaced people,” said the ministry spokesperson.
According to his complaint, both Nasser and Al Amal are “in extreme danger” and he called for “urgent intervention” to protect medical centers and facilitate the movement of ambulances to and from them.
Furthermore, in the last few hours, dozens of civilians were killed and many others were wounded “by live bullets from the occupation forces” in western Khan Younis, the official Palestinian Wafa agency reported, citing local security sources.
The Palestinian Red Crescent also reported several victims among the displaced, after an Israeli airstrike directed at its headquarters in Khan Younis.
For their part, other Palestinian sources have reported bombings in the central, eastern and western areas of Khan Yunis, a city that has been completely surrounded by Israeli troops after a month and a half of offensive, as confirmed today by the Israeli Army itself. .
The number of fatalities in the Gaza Strip since the war began amounts to 25,490 and the number of injuries to 63,354, according to the latest count by the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas.
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga
