Rom Braslavski, a 21-year-old Israeli man recently freed from Gaza, has revealed harrowing details of sexual violence and torture during his two-year captivity by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). In a televised interview with Israel’s Channel 13, Braslavski described being stripped naked, tied up, and repeatedly assaulted—acts he said were designed to “crush [his] dignity”.
Braslavski was abducted on 7 October 2023 while working security at the Nova music festival, during the Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. He was among the final group of 20 living hostages released last month under a US-brokered ceasefire deal.
His captors allegedly intensified abuse after he refused to convert to Islam. Braslavski recounted being blindfolded for weeks, having stones forced into his ears, and being whipped with metal cables multiple times a day. “I survived another day in hell. Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up to another hell,” he said.
The sexual violence reportedly began after PIJ released a video in August showing Braslavski emaciated and pleading for help. Following the broadcast, he said, his captors stripped him completely and began assaulting him. “It was sexual violence, and its main purpose was humiliation,” he told Channel 13.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Braslavski’s courage, calling his testimony “living proof” of the atrocities committed by Gaza’s militant groups. “The world must understand the scale of the crimes—heinous cruelty, sexual violence, and abuse,” Herzog posted on social media.
Braslavski’s account is the first public allegation of sexual assault by a male hostage. At least four female hostages have previously reported similar abuse. A UN report earlier this year found “clear and convincing” evidence of sexual violence against hostages in Gaza.
A PIJ official denied the allegations but offered no further comment.
Braslavski’s testimony adds a deeply personal and disturbing layer to Israel’s case against Hamas and its allies, reinforcing calls for international accountability and renewed scrutiny of hostage treatment.
The London Christian Radio
