Alon Ohel is third former Israeli hostage to reveal sexual abuse during Hamas captivity

Former Israeli hostage Alon Ohel revealed on Monday that he was sexually abused by Hamas terrorists during his 738 days long captivity in Gaza tunnels. Ohel was among the last 20 living Israeli hostages who were released in October as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Ohel recalled that the abuse started when he was left alone after other hostages had been released. 

“From the moment I was alone, and after the second hostage deal collapsed, their new goal was to terrify me,” he recalled. Ohel revealed that he was sexually harassed by the Hamas guards who also manipulated the food rations.

He described one incident in the shower. “He came in to shampoo me. He put shampoo on his hands and began to wash me in the shower. He touched me,” Ohel said. Despite his objections, the Hamas guard insisted on doing it, claiming that it was crucial that he “wash properly.” “Fortunately, it did not go further,” Ohel added.

Ohel is the third recently released hostage who has revealed that he was sexually abused by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Last month, former hostages – Guy Gilboa Dalal and Rom Braslavski – testified that they had been sexually abused during their captivity in Gaza. 

“It was sexual violence – and its main purpose was to humiliate me,” Braslavski told Channel 13 last month. “The goal was to crush my dignity. And that’s exactly what [they] did,” he continued. “It’s something even the Nazis didn’t do. During Hitler’s time, they wouldn’t have done things like this."

In an interview with Channel 12 in November, Gilboa Dalal revealed that his captor “started touching me, kissing me on the neck and back. It was very frightening.” Dalal revealed that his captor threatened him with a rifle to his head and a knife to his throat, warning him against telling other hostages about the incident. 

“So not only did I go through that terrible experience, I also couldn’t tell anyone,” he explained. Dalal also testified that he was sexually assaulted by a Hamas guard. 

“He rubbed his genitals against me for several minutes. I froze. I didn’t know what to do with myself,” Dalal recalled. 

Many former hostages have previously testified that they were sexually harassed or assaulted during the captivity in Gaza. The terrorist organization Hamas has denied the accusations of sexual violence. However, Hamas’ systematic weaponization of sexual violence and rape during and after the Oct. 7 massacre is well-documented.

In July, The Sunday Times highlighted a report that included testimonies concerning sexual violence from 20 eyewitnesses and earwitnesses from hostage survivors and a Nova Music Festival massacre survivor. 

“Clear patterns were found in how the sexual violence was carried out,” the report states, “including victims found partially or fully naked with their hands tied – often to trees or poles; evidence of gang rape followed by execution; and injuries to genitalia.”