Amit, a lawyer specializing in civil and commercial law and the youngest of three sisters, had lived in Sderot before moving to a nearby Moshav and eventually to Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
On October 7th, the terror organization Hamas launched an unprecedented, surprise attack on southern Israel, including Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The kibbutz, which sits five kilometers east of the Gaza strip, was infiltrated by around 70 terrorists and had more than 70 members murdered with 17 taken hostage.
That Saturday, while in her home's safe room, Amit was abducted by terrorists as she alerted her family via text, amidst the sound of gunfire. Her apartment was subsequently burned down, leaving nothing but her burnt laptop and a t-shirt.
Amit’s astonishingly valiant struggle was captured on video, where she managed to knock down one of her seven assailants. Unable to subdue her, they ultimately bound her hands and feet and dragged her into Gaza. After being declared as ‘missing’ for three weeks, Amit’s family was informed of her abduction.
Amit was held captive for 55 days, experiencing frequent relocations under armed Hamas surveillance, including a period in a barely breathable tunnel 40 meters underground. She described feeling as though she was buried alive. In late November Amit was released from Hamas captivity as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement.
In January 2024, Amit disclosed to the New York Times the severe sexual assault and beatings she endured from a captor named Muhammad, who exploited her vulnerability. She decided to go public with her traumatic story to raise awareness for the plight of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
Amit's ordeal included psychological torture, physical abuse, and sexual violence, intensifying when she was grouped with other hostages. For part of her captivity, she was kept alone in a children's room, chained by her ankle to the window frame. "When you're in Hamas captivity, everything is just so fragile. Things can go drastically wrong every second. You're not allowed to speak, cry, not even comfort each other when times get really bad," Amit shared. "I had no control over my body or my soul, it was scary." The captors beat Amit, kicked her and threatened to poke her eye out with a spike, “They were hitting and kicking me, and were laughing as the other hostages were called to watch.”
Despite the torment, she spoke out in her testimony to the UN, contributing to a report led by Pramila Patten that confirmed the sexual violence by Hamas during their murderous attack, raising serious concerns about the safety of female hostages in Gaza. Amit concludes: "I hope that the remaining hostages there are able to keep their faith alive and stay strong. But even the toughest souls can't hold on for such a long time."