"We heard three firsthand accounts and another story that was relayed to us," she continued, "about incidents that occurred a few weeks after our stay in Gaza. These women were physically harmed. The way they were sexually abused and their bodies violated leaves them unsure of how to cope. If they had been released earlier, they might have been spared from this trauma. We also saw a young man who was beaten."

Israeli hostage recalls horrors of Hamas's sexual assaults

Apology, Tears and Terror: A Former Hostage Recounts a 7-Week Ordeal