The older brother of 19-year-old hostage Naama Levy has said the possibility that his sister has been sexually assaulted is “a fear that I go to sleep with every night and wake up with every morning.”
Amit Levy, 21, shared Naama’s story during a meeting with MPs at Westminster, joining a delegation of hostages’ family members to continue to keep the issue of the hostages at the top of the UK government’s agenda.
Naama, who Amit called a “gentle and loving soul” and “the kindest person I know”, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7. Amit's voice cracked as he said: “You’ve probably seen the video of Naama being dragged by the hair, hands bound, into a jeep at gunpoint somewhere in Gaza.”
In the widely circulated video from that fateful day, Naama’s grey sweatpants appear stained with blood around the crotch area, which has convinced many that Naama — along with countless other October 7 victims — were subjected to sexual violence.
Naama Levy, 19, is one of the youngest hostages remaining in Gaza. She was recognised as the girl in the photo with wrists bound and sweatpants bloodied as she was pushed into a vehicle on October 7.
“It’s very, very hard to stay optimistic,” said Amit. “My mom can’t sleep and everyone is worried sick about what Naama, as a teenager, may be going through.”
“I can’t help but feel that I failed to keep her safe. I can’t imagine the horrors she must be going through every day and with every passing hour. This situation is a nightmare for my family personally and for many other families, but it’s also a historic moment for the world, and we all must stand on the right side of history. The clock is ticking. Every minute the hostages stay in Gaza is too long. Time is running out for them. Please help us bring my sister back.”
Amit added: “We know that their bodies and their souls won't be able to go through this much and stay alive.”
The All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting, led by Stephen Crabbe MP and Margaret Hodge MP and organised in partnership with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, included testimonies from several other hostages’ family members.
21-year-old hostage Omer Shem Tov’s brother Amit Shem Tov, 23, also shared his heart-wrenching story, explaining how his family tracked Omer’s live location on the morning of October 7 and were disturbed to find that his phone appeared to be moving towards Gaza. In the evening, a friend called; they had found a video of Omer with his hands tied, lying in the back of a pickup truck on top of guns and magazines.
Omer Shem Tov is still held hostage in Gaza (X/Twitter)
“My mom did not want to see it at first, but once she was ready to see it, she started crying and screaming and that’s the worst I’ve ever seen my mom,” said Shem Tov. “I would never, never wish that feeling for any other mother in the world.”
Shem Tov shared that his brother has two medical conditions, asthma and coeliac disease. Omer does not have his inhaler, and according to accounts shared by released hostages, the bulk of the food offered to hostages is bread, which those with coeliac disease cannot digest.
A testimony was also shared by Shay Benjamin, 25, whose father Ron Benjamin, 53, is still held hostage by Hamas: “It has been 160 days that my dad has not been home,” said Benjamin. “160 days that I cannot get a hug from him. 160 days that I call, and he does not pick up. 160 days without my best friend.”
Ron Benjamin, who is still held hostage in Gaza
Last to speak was 26-year-old Ziv Abud, who was at the Nova music festival with her partner Elya Cohen, 26, when he was kidnapped. “I still remember the sound of his scream before he was kidnapped,” she said.
Ziv Abud was in London to raise awareness of her boyfriend, Elya Cohen, who is still held hostage in Gaza (Photo: Cohen family)
Ziv detailed the horror-filled hours of that morning, which she largely spent in hiding among dozens of dead bodies, including those of her nephew and his girlfriend.
“I will never get my sanity back,” she said. “But I have a chance to get my future husband back.”
The delegation was scheduled to include Roy Chen, the brother of 19-year-old hostage Itay Chen, but following Monday’s report of Itay’s death, Roy did not attend the conference.
Over 100 hostages are still held hostage in Gaza, abducted on October 7 by Hamas terrorists.
