A former hostage held by Hamas for over a year has bravely recounted her traumatic experiences, including fears of being used as a “sex slave” by her captors. In an emotional interview with CNN, Romi Gonen, 25, detailed the sexual assaults she endured while in captivity, as well as her resolve to speak out after being promised an early release for her silence.
Gonen was taken hostage during the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked the event. For 471 days, she was moved between various hideouts in Gaza, where she faced repeated abuse at the hands of her captors. Gonen’s release came as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, making her one of the first three hostages to be freed.
In her interview, Gonen revealed the harrowing reality of her imprisonment. She described the first sexual assault occurring just days into her captivity. Initially held in solitary confinement for 34 days, she had limited interactions with her captors, including a supposed medic who treated her gunshot wound sustained during the attack. Tragically, this individual exploited his position to assault her under the guise of providing care.
“The supposed ‘nurse’ allowed himself to ‘help me,’” Gonen recounted. “I was wounded, powerless, and couldn’t do anything. He took everything from me. And I had to continue living with him in that house afterward.”
The abuse did not end there. Gonen detailed a 16-day period during which two men, identified as Ibrahim and Mohammed, relentlessly harassed her. “I’m sitting on the bed. Ibrahim comes and sits next to me and harasses me,” she said. “I start crying, and he says, ‘Be careful. If you don’t calm down, I’ll get angry.’”
This constant torment took a severe toll on Gonen’s mental state. She recalled moments when she felt utterly hopeless, fearing she would become a lifelong victim of sexual violence. “I was thinking: ‘Romi, everyone in Israel thinks you’re dead, and you’re going to be his sex slave for life,’” she told CNN. Gonen also recounted a particularly traumatic moment when one of her captors threatened her life if she spoke out about the abuse.
At one point, the ongoing harassment drew the attention of senior Hamas officials. Gonen noted that she was brought before Izz a Din al-Haddad, head of the Hamas Gaza Brigade, who proposed a deal for her release in exchange for her silence. “I will put you at the top of the release list, and in return, you will promise me that you will keep quiet,” she recalled.
Despite the threats and trauma, Gonen has emerged with a powerful message. “They often silenced my story and told me not to tell it. Now I am here, sitting in front of the camera, and honestly, no one will silence me anymore,” she declared. “It happened to me, and it was terrible, and I deal with the consequences every day, but I am here. I beat it. I am in the aftermath, and I am much stronger than it.”
Gonen’s experiences resonate with a broader issue. A report from the Dinah Project in July 2025 indicated that thirteen other women and two men had also experienced or witnessed sexual violence while being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for awareness and support for victims of such atrocities.
Gonen’s courageous decision to speak out not only sheds light on her personal ordeal but also serves as a rallying cry for all those who have suffered in silence. Her story emphasizes the importance of confronting the brutal realities faced by hostages and the imperative to ensure their voices are heard.
