Ilana Gritzewsky’s Chilling UN Testimony: ‘I Begged Them Not to Rape Me’

Ilana Gritzewsky, a survivor of Hamas captivity, stood before the United Nations Security Council and delivered testimony that silenced the chamber. Her voice trembled yet carried defiance, as she demanded the world face its own silence:

“Where were you when we needed you the most?”

Speaking for Those Who Cannot

Ilana began her testimony by making clear she was not there for herself alone. “I am speaking on behalf of those still in captivity, and for those who were brutally murdered and cannot speak anymore,” she said.

For her, this was not just a speech, it was a plea for justice.

A Childhood of Faith in International Values, Shattered in One Morning

She recalled how as a child in Israel, her teachers instilled faith in international institutions, the UN, UNICEF, human rights conventions. But on October 7, that trust collapsed.

“Where were you when we needed you the most?!” she cried.

Ilana described the peaceful life she had built with her partner, Matan Tsangauker, in Kibbutz Nir Oz. “Our life was simple, full of dreams. I loved to bake. We had a home.”

Then came the morning that would destroy everything.

October 7 – From Home to Hell

“We woke to the sound of sirens, like in every escalation,” she said. “But this time it was different. Gunfire. Shouts in Arabic. The nightmare was only beginning.”

Ilana and Matan barricaded themselves in their safe room. He pressed his body against the door with all his strength. “I tried to keep our dog quiet. We heard them break into house after house in the kibbutz, killing, kidnapping, raping.”

Eventually, the door gave way. “We jumped out the window. I lost Matan. I hid behind a closet in my neighbor’s porch. That same day my neighbors were murdered, and their bodies dragged into Gaza.”

“I Begged Them Not to Rape Me”

When the terrorists found her, Ilana said, they yanked her hair, slammed her against the wall, beat her stomach, pointed guns at her, and filmed her.

“I told them I was Mexican. I begged them not to rape me.”

Dragged across the floor, she was taken on a motorcycle into Gaza. “They harassed me sexually on the way. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was half-naked, surrounded by Hamas terrorists. I begged them again not to rape me. I told them I was on my period so they would stay away. They didn’t know whether I was menstruating or pregnant.”

For long, agonizing minutes, she didn’t know if she had been assaulted while unconscious.

Life Underground

In captivity, Ilana discovered that Matan had also been taken. “They kept saying I would see him. But they never let me. Not once.”

Her words pierced the chamber: “People see me now and think I am free. But the trauma doesn’t end when you are released. Every siren, every rocket from Gaza, Yemen, Iran, throws me back into that nightmare. I have a shelter. But I know Matan doesn’t.”

“The Hostages Have No Time”

Ilana described being used as a human shield, moved from place to place, living with constant hunger. “I was starving for days. I didn’t know if it was day or night, if I would live another hour. I began to develop PTSD.”

Her message to the world was desperate: “Do not make them wait. The hostages have no time. Do everything you can so they come home.”

She closed with a personal message to Matan: “Stay strong. Do not lose hope. Your mother, your sister, and our dog are waiting for you.”

The Israeli Response

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon stood by her side, visibly moved. “Your courage to stand here and share your pain is itself an act of heroism,” he said. “Your testimony is a human cry that cannot be ignored. We will make sure the voices of the hostages and their families are heard until they are all home.”

A Cry That Echoed Through the Chamber

Many diplomats lowered their heads. Some wiped away tears. Her testimony was not only a personal story but a searing indictment of the world’s silence on October 7.

“No mother, no partner, no human being should ever have to ask: Where were you when we needed you?”