Amit Soussana
Amit Soussana | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 9, 1983 Sderot, Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Awards | International Women of Courage Award |
Amit Soussana (Hebrew: עמית סוסנה; born 9 September 1983) is an Israeli national who was kidnapped from her home in Kfar Aza by the terrorist organization Hamas during the October 7 massacre. Footage of her abduction and her subsequent testimony following her release on 30 November 2023 received international media coverage and helped raise awareness of the sexual violence perpetrated by Palestinian militants during the attack. She is a recipient of the International Women of Courage Award.[1]
Biography
Early life and education
Soussana was born in Sderot, Israel, to Armond and Mira Soussana, and is the youngest of three sisters. She studied law at the Sapir Academic College. Approximately a year before her abduction, she moved to the “Young Generation” neighborhood of Kfar Aza. Prior to the events of October 2023, she worked at the Luzzatto Group in their Omer branch.[2][3]
Captivity
On 7 October 2023, Soussana was kidnapped by ten armed men from a closet in her reinforced safe room where she was hiding. Her apartment was burned, one of her pet cats was killed, and she was listed as missing for twenty days before it was confirmed that she had been abducted.[4]
Video footage of her being dragged across the grass by her captors in Kfar Aza went viral. She resisted her abductors for nearly 40 minutes, during which she was beaten with a gun barrel and tied with a blanket before being taken by car into the Gaza Strip. During the abduction, her nose and eye socket were fractured.[5][6]
Initially, Soussana was held alone, chained inside an apartment. Her captor sexually harassed her and later raped her at gunpoint, employing extreme physical violence.[3]
She was eventually moved to a second location where other hostages were held. There, guards—suspecting she was an Israeli military officer—physically and verbally abused her.[1] She confided the details of her assault to Keith Siegel, a fellow hostage held with her. Soussana was released after 55 days in captivity as part of the first hostage deal.[1][7]
Advocacy and public activity
Following her release, Soussana became a prominent advocate for the return of the remaining hostages. She was the first released hostage to publicly disclose having been subjected to sexual violence during captivity. Soussana recounted her experiences in the documentary film Cries Then Silence, and spoke at its premiere held at the Israeli President's Residence before an audience of international diplomats.[8]
In June 2024, she addressed an event at the White House, and in October 2024, she spoke before the United Nations Security Council to mark 15 years since the creation of the mandate on sexual violence in conflict.[9]
Soussana has shared her story in numerous international media outlets, including The New York Times.[10]
During Eurovision 2024, Israeli contestant Eden Golan's stage performance symbolized Soussana’s abduction, with a choreography that referenced her being carried on the shoulders of the terrorists.[11]
In 2025, she was honored by the Michal Sela Forum for her advocacy.[12] She also became the second Israeli recipient of the International Women of Courage Award, following Ruth Halperin-Kaddari.[13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Amit Soussana: "The terrorists hung me upside down in front of the hostages. I thought I was the unluckiest person in the world"". Israel Hayom (in Hebrew). 2 April 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Amit returns home: Freed from Hamas captivity after 55 days". Sderonet (in Hebrew). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Amit Soussana receives special award and shares: Why I revealed the sexual abuse in captivity". Ynet (in Hebrew). 3 March 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Amit Soussana: "Sometimes I feel it's too personal and exposed. But this is my contribution to the struggle"". Ynet (in Hebrew). 2 April 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Amit Soussana in exclusive testimony: "Shooting was power—it saved my life"". N12. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Amit hid in a closet, was kidnapped to Gaza – and returned from captivity: "Overwhelming emotion"". Ynet (in Hebrew). 30 November 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Survivor of captivity Amit Soussana: I felt I had abandoned Keith Siegel until he was freed". Arutz 7 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "The hostage who returned: "I will carry these scars my whole life"". Srugim (in Hebrew). Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Amit Soussana at the UN: "They hung me upside down, beat me and humiliated me"". Channel 13 News (in Hebrew). Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Kingsley, Patrick; Bergman, Ronen (26 March 2024). "Israeli Hostage Says She Was Sexually Assaulted and Tortured in Gaza". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Hovav, Ofir. "For those looking for 7 October messages in Eurovision, perhaps Eden Golan's dress is one". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Hostage survivor Amit Soussana receives major honor: This is the prestigious award she will get". Maariv (in Hebrew). 3 March 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "After 55 days in Gaza captivity, Amit Soussana receives US Courage Award". The Jerusalem Post. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.