Emotional session in Knesset with families of Israeli hostages: 'Your job is to bring them back home'

A Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality in Israel held an emotional session on Tuesday, urging members to advance a hostage release deal for the 130 civilians still being held in the Gaza enclave.

While no ministers were present for the committee hearing, two released abductees along with hostage families of those still being held captive spoke about the harrowing circumstances of sexual violence the hostages continue to face.

“Every girl there is sexually harassed in one way or another. It doesn’t matter how you try to spin it. As a citizen, on October 7, I didn’t understand why no one came to rescue me in a matter of hours; so did all the women who are in Gaza,” said Maya Regev, who was released on Nov. 25 as part of the U.S.- and Qatari-brokered temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

“Every day there is an emergency, every minute is important,” Regev added tearfully, lamenting a six-week Knesset recess scheduled for April 7 to May 19. 

“Hearing that lawmakers are going on recess, what will the hostages do there? Sit and wait for the Knesset and the government to return to their comfortable chairs and decide what to do? I personally could not believe it.”

Regev was abducted on Oct. 7 from the Nova music festival along with her brother Itay, who was also released during the November truce. “I came back after 50 days and I’m still dealing with issues. I don’t want to describe what they’ve been going through there for 179 days.”

“Your job is to bring them back home, to the country that has already disappointed us once,” she said. “Another day and another and another and we go on vacation. We need your help. All the families here are crying out every day. How does this make sense?”

Sharon Aloni Cunio, who was also released in the November deal along with her 3-year-old twin daughters, Emma and Yuli, described the terror and helplessness she felt while in Hamas captivity.

“As a woman who was there, I can tell you that the terror is never-ending,” she said tearfully. “To be a woman in captivity is to be in constant fear. Helplessness is a feeling that I don’t wish on anyone. Time stands still, every minute is an eternity, every movement the terrorist makes turns her stomach because who knows what will happen? Will he hurt me? Will he take one of my girls?”

“The terrorist is the sole decider. I cannot oppose any of his orders,” she added. “My opinion doesn’t count; my wishes are irrelevant. Only he decides if I will live or die, only he decides if Emma and Yuli can hug me.”

Aloni Cunio also advocated for the release of the men still in captivity and expressed concern regarding the unknown fate of her husband, David, who has been held by terrorists in Gaza since Oct. 7.

"My husband is my strength, and I have no strength left," she said.

"Please do not forget the men," she said while sobbing. "You must reach a deal for everyone, even if in stages."

“Men are also subjected to terrible abuse in captivity. We’ve heard the testimonies, and they are horrifying,” she continued. “They are desperate. The tears ran out long ago and hope has dwindled; I can testify to this firsthand. I understand and accept that the first step must be the release of the women after 179 days, my David is by now also a humanitarian case.”

Ayelet Levy Shachar, whose daughter Naama Levy, was abducted by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, also spoke to the committee, begging them to advance a hostage release. Video footage of Hamas terrorists forcing 19-year-old Naama Levy with bloodied sweatpants and hands tied into a car circulated the internet after Oct. 7, giving reason to believe she had been sexually abused.

“We, the families of the girls, of the women there, did not need the UN report or the New York Times investigation, the testimonies of the women who returned from captivity and also the difficult testimonies that were published recently. From Day 1 we understood the panic and the urgency.”

A United Nations report in March found “clear and convincing” evidence that rape, including gang rape, had likely occurred during the Oct. 7 Hamas onslaught, that hostages were raped while being held in Gaza, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse. The New York Times and The Washington Post also published investigative reports of sexual abuse perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on the day Israeli's now call the "Black Shabbat."

Pnina Tamano-Shata, the National Unity member of Knesset who chairs the committee, said that Tuesday’s discussion was an effort to pressure the government to advance a hostage release deal and expand the mandate given to negotiators.

“We’ve all heard the testimonies. We need to bring them home. This is in our hands,” she said during the committee discussion. “We can’t imagine what you are all going through as relatives of the hostages.”

Yarden Gonen, the sister of hostage Romi Gonen, and Shai Dickman, cousin of hostage Carmel Gat, detailed horrendous accounts of eyewitnesses from October 7 that included rape, genital mutilation, and torture.

"Why are you letting my sister remain there? What did she do wrong? Why do I need to be here and beg?" Gonen said. "Why do I not see ministers echoing this throughout the world? I've had enough," Gonen said.

According to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Office, Israel’s negotiating team headed home from truce talks in Cairo on Tuesday after comprising an updated proposal for Hamas.

Negotiation talks that would bring about a hostage deal have become stagnant in recent weeks, with Hamas demanding a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza for any further hostage release.

In November, a total of 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce, and three hostages have been rescued alive by IDF troops. The bodies of 11 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the IDF.

Politicians from the opposition criticized the government for not sending any representatives to the discussion.

"In a normal world, the Minister for Women's Affairs would be here or would gather all of the ministers to hear the testimonies. This is a weak government," Yesh Atid party Knesset Member Merav Ben-Ari said.

Religious Zionist Party Michal Woldiger responded: "Then you are surprised that they do not come," to which committee chairman MK Pnina Tamano-Shata (National Unity) said, "Do not threaten me, they must be here."

Gil Dickman, brother of Shai and cousin of hostage Carmel Gat, responded to the exchange, "This threatening language of members of Knesset is what we hear every day, no minister comes. The defense minister, prime minister, and all ministers must be here. While we are here, the prime minister's spokesperson said that the public does not support the return of the hostages. We need to hear condemnation of this comment."

The sexual abuse against female hostages has been one of the main arguments for a hostage release and ceasefire deal. Former hostage Amit Soussana came forward last week and revealed that she had been sexually abused while in captivity in Gaza.

Later on Tuesday, more hostage families handcuffed themselves to each other during a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session when the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel presented a report about the sexual abuse of Israelis on Oct. 7 and its aftermath in Gaza.

The families issued a written statement with a call on members of Knesset “not to head to recess, not to continue on routinely and join the struggle to free the hostages and replace the prime minister who is a barrier to a deal."

"If the hostages have no freedom, neither will elected officials," the families said.