Hamas Terrorists Ignored Israeli Airstrikes and Continued Raping Hostages, Freed Captive Reports

In tense meeting with Israeli leaders, freed hostages describe sexual violence perpetrated against both women and men in captivity

Hamas militants are brutally raping their captives held in Gaza — including men — even as Israeli airstrikes have decimated their surroundings, former hostages and their families told Israeli officials during a meeting of the war cabinet on Tuesday, according to reports in Israeli media.

"The bombs fell above us. The Hamas terrorists kept sleeping, they’re not bothered by your airstrikes," one former hostage told the cabinet, which included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during the heated meeting .

"They’re sexually assaulting girls."

The details of sexual assault emerged as many of the former hostages and families of the more than 100 Israelis who remain captive slammed the Israeli government's leaders over how they've handled the aftermath of Oct. 7 and the ensuing war.

In the Tuesday evening meeting, the ministers heard testimony from several of the hostages freed over the last two weeks . They described how Israeli airstrikes came close to hitting hostages, along with accounts of the deplorable living conditions and assault many endured for the seven weeks they were held by Hamas.

"My dad is a strong man, but he's there in captivity, they're humiliating him," one released hostage said.

Another added, "They're raping men there, too."

While the meeting revealed a clear split among those who testified over whether Israel should trudge further into war, nearly all implored Israel to prioritize the release of the hostages still in the custody of Hamas and their affiliated terror groups.

During the meeting, Netanyahu responded that "there is no possibility right now to bring everyone home," according to the Times of Israel .

"Can anyone really imagine that if that was an option, anyone would refuse it?" Netanyahu was quoted as saying by several reports in Hebrew media.

The comments received swift backlash, according to the Times.

The outlet also reported that Netanyahu read his remarks from a piece of paper and did not take questions during the meeting.

The accounts of rape and other sexual violence committed by Hamas came a day after Israel screened video footage of graphic video testimony to the United Nations detailing how terrorists in the group's Oct. 7 attacks raped Israelis and mutilated the sexual organs of their victims.

"On Oct. 7, Hamas perpetuated rape and sexual violence, exploiting these unforgivable crimes as weapons of war,"  Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan said in New York on Monday.

"This was pre-meditated. This was planned. This was instructed," he added. "Hamas terrorists were told to commit these acts of sheer evil in order to terrorize us and our families in order to drive us away from Israel out of fear."

The UN screening was intended to provide proof of Israel's allegations of widespread rape and sexual assault committed by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct. 7 – a major part of the attack that killed some 1,200 people that advocates have complained has received little attention and has been subject to doubt and denial online.