'It's not a one-time rape. It's happening now': Canadian pleads for the return of her cousin taken by Hamas

Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities are ongoing against hostages held in Gaza, and Canadians should push Ottawa to do more to expedite the return of Israelis held by the terror group, a Canadian cousin of one hostage told a Toronto rally Wednesday.

“On Oct. 7, at the Nova Festival, in the kibbutz, (Hamas) was raping, mutilating and destroying the souls and bodies of women, elderly and men and they’re still doing that,” said Maayan Shavit, whose cousin, Carmel Gat, was captured on Oct. 7 in an interview with National Post. “It’s not a one-time rape or a one-time lesson. It’s happening now, as we speak. The (hostages) that have returned, they tell their stories of the women that are still left behind and people are still not willing to accept it… People are walking like horses (with blinders on…) They prefer to close their eyes and continue to be bystanders without understanding that it’s happening now.”

A 39-year-old occupational therapist and yoga practitioner from Tel Aviv, Gat was visiting her parents near the border with Gaza when Hamas attacked, killing her mother and kidnapping her from her parents’ home. Her brother and his daughter were able to escape, while her sister-in-law was released during negotiations between Israel and Hamas in November. Hostages who interacted with Gat that were released said that she is being held captive with children and, to make them feel safe, was practicing yoga once a day with them, according to a Times of Israel article.

“Stop looking the other way,” said Shavit during her speech. “Stop thinking that someone else will take care of this. Do not pass the ball to someone else. This is happening now, as I speak, the fate of these women and men are in our hands.”

The rally, held in Uptown Toronto on Valentine’s Day by Canadians for Israel, featured 14 women, representing the 14 women still being held hostage by Hamas, with bound hands, a cloth mouth-gag and bloodied sweatpants mirroring the widely-circulated video believed to be 19-year-old Naama Levy, one of the Israeli hostages being led away with blood-stained sweatpants.

Read the Full Article Here: https://nationalpost.com/news/world/israel-middle-east/canadian-family-of-hamas-hostage