Rom Braslavski, 21, says he was stripped, bound and sexually assaulted while held in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad after being kidnapped on October 7. He described the abuse as intended to humiliate and break his dignity and was among the last 20 hostages released under a recent ceasefire. Footage earlier showed him emaciated, and his family alleges he was pressured to convert to Islam for food. Human-rights reports and other former hostages have also alleged sexual violence; militant groups have denied such claims.
“They Stripped Me Naked”: Freed Israeli Hostage Says He Was Sexually Assaulted in Gaza
Rom Braslavski, 21, says he was stripped, bound and sexually assaulted while held in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad after being kidnapped on October 7. He described the abuse as intended to humiliate and break his dignity and was among the last 20 hostages released under a recent ceasefire. Footage earlier showed him emaciated, and his family alleges he was pressured to convert to Islam for food. Human-rights reports and other former hostages have also alleged sexual violence; militant groups have denied such claims.
00:13, 06.11.2025Conflict
Freed Israeli hostage says he was sexually assaulted while held in Gaza
Rom Braslavski, 21, a security guard at the Nova music festival who was kidnapped on October 7, told Channel 13's program Hazinor that he was stripped, bound and subjected to humiliating sexual violence while being held in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In the interview, shared with CNN, Braslavski described being left naked, tied and deprived of food. "When I was completely naked. I was wiped out, dying without food. And I prayed to God — save me, get me out of this already," he said, his voice trailing off. He called the treatment "unequivocally" sexual assault, saying the attackers' intent was to humiliate and destroy his dignity.
"It is sexual violence and its main purpose was to humiliate me. The goal was to crush my dignity and that's exactly what he did," Braslavski told the program. "It's hard for me to talk about that part, specifically. I don't like to talk about it."
Braslavski was among the last 20 living hostages released under a ceasefire agreement last month after more than two years in captivity. He says he was held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based militant group allied with Hamas that also detained Israeli captives during the conflict. CNN has contacted Palestinian Islamic Jihad for comment.
Earlier this year militants released footage showing an emaciated Braslavski; his father said he barely recognized his son. His mother has told Israeli media that he was allegedly pressured to convert to Islam in exchange for food while in captivity.
Other former Israeli hostages — primarily women until now — have previously alleged sexual assault or abuse while detained. Those claims have been denied by Hamas. Human-rights organizations and the UN's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, have reported "clear and convincing" information that some hostages in Gaza were sexually abused.
This public allegation by a male former hostage adds a new dimension to ongoing calls for independent investigation and accountability. Survivors and rights groups have urged thorough, impartial inquiries into all allegations of sexual violence during captivity.