Shlomi Berger holds a photo of her daughter Agama, who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7
The cousin of the Israeli hostage told members of parliament about her fears that a teenage girl will become pregnant while being held by Hamas terrorists.
19-year-old Agam Berger is one of 136 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip — 116 days since the terrorists took them captive .< /p>
There have been widespread accusations of sexual assault against Hamas members who took part in the October 7 attacks.
On Wednesday, Ashley Waxman Bakshi, Ms. Berger's cousin, spoke of her concern after seeing a «proof of life» video released by Hamas last week in which one of Ms. Berger's friends had a swollen face, which could be sign of pregnancy.
Speaking through tears for 13 minutes, Ms. Bakshi said: “Some of the freed hostages have already given partial testimony about sexual abuse continuing in captivity.”
“We have heard of girls being touched while going to the toilet and raped at gunpoint.
“Many of these girls ask them not to tell their parents.”
Agam Berger is one of 136 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip
Ms. Bakshi told the event that Ms. Berger was a talented violinist who dreamed of traveling the world.
The last time her family spoke to her was on October 7, when the teenager called her from a bomb shelter. Ms Berger was later confirmed to be a hostage as a Hamas Telegram video showed her being led to a car, still in her pajamas.
“You can clearly understand our concern every minute our women and girls end up in the hands of these monsters,” Ms. Bakshi said.
“What if they are pregnant? What if they are used as sex slaves?
«We have already seen rumors on Palestinian social media that time is being sold to civilians to spend time with them.»
Ms Bakshi said the video of two of Ms Berger's friends, who also are being held hostage, only heightened the family's fears about the pregnancy.
She said: “Last week Hamas released another of their sinister videos with clearly written texts, where we can see… and Agam's two friends, Danielle and Karina, who are also 19 years old.
“Along with the joy of seeing signs of life, we couldn’t help but notice that one of them had a slightly swollen face.
“And the first unimaginable thoughts that came to our minds were about pregnancy.” .
Ms Bakshi was speaking at an event organized by the All Party British Israel Parliamentary Group, which heard testimony about sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists.
< p>Kemi Badenoch, a business secretary who attended the event in her capacity as women's minister, criticized women's organizations, including UN Women, for «for two months failing to acknowledge the horror of sexual violence» against Israelis. Women.
Addressing the event earlier, Ms Badenoch said: “Since October we have heard eyewitness accounts from survivors of these attacks and the Nova Music Festival massacre describing extreme levels of brutality, gang rape and sexual violence «.
“Even though some international organizations, including women's groups such as UN Women, waited two months to acknowledge the horror of sexual violence, Israeli women have since spoken out.”
Among other panelists at the event, Shari Mendez, an IDF reservist, described how the bodies of some women were found with «bloody, torn underwear» and how one of her colleagues saw the bodies of female soldiers who had been shot in the genitals.
The UN women's agency has come under fire for failing to comment on reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists until December 1 last year. In a statement released that day, the organization said: «We are alarmed by the numerous reports of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during these [October 7] attacks.
«That's why we have called for all cases of gender-based violence to be properly investigated. and be prosecuted according to the law, taking into account the rights of the victim.”
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