Released Hostage Describes Sexual Assaults During Two Years in Hamas Captivity

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, described two separate sexual assaults by his captors during the two years he spent in Hamas custody after being taken from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. In an interview with Israel's First Lady Michal Herzog, Gilboa-Dalal said one captor dragged him into a room, blindfolded him, ordered him to undress, and made comments about pornography before touching his body and kissing his neck and back for about 20 minutes.

The captor then pressed a knife to his neck and later put a gun to his head, threatening to kill him if he disclosed the abuse.

Gilboa-Dalal said he told the captor that pornography is forbidden in Islam. The captor replied, “You haven’t seen girls for a long time, right? You watch porn? You want to watch porn? ” A second captor assaulted him after he had showered.

Gilboa-Dalal said the man took him naked into a room, threw him on a couch, held his head away, and rubbed his genitals on his anus for 20 minutes. The captor then threw him to the ground, beat him, and warned he would be killed if he revealed what happened. Gilboa-Dalal said he was forced to tell the captor that he loved him before being released.

Gilboa-Dalal was freed on October 13, 2025, as part of the final group of 20 living hostages released under a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. He said he wants to use his voice to empower other victims of sexual assault and to show them they are not alone.