Amit Soussana, Israeli citizen who was hosted by Hamas hostage, was awarded the international courageous women by the US State Department.
The international courageous women’s courage awards for Amit Soussana took place at the US Department of Foreign Affairs in Washington on April 1, with the participation of the First Lady Melania Trump and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio.
“It is a great honor to stand in front of you today, but it is also a very painful moment. While I am here, my friends are still in the dark. 543 days and nights are long.
From left to right: First Lady Melania, Amit Soussana and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio during the international courageous women’s awards ceremony in Washington, USA on April 1. Image:AFP
Soussana was kidnapped when Hamas raided southern Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking the war in Gaza. The video shows the Hamas members pulling her through a field, bringing to the Gaza Strip. She resisted and was knocked down and beaten.
Soussana agreed to publicize this video after she was released under a ceasefire agreement and releasing her first hostage between Israel and Hamas in November 2023.
59 hostages are still imprisoned in Gaza and at least 24 of them are considered to be still alive. Some hostages were released that they were imprisoned in wet tunnels, lack of air and light, bad hygiene conditions.
The latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has ended, making the hope with relatives the rest of the hostages even more faint.
Since being released, Soussana has traveled around the world to fight for those who are still imprisoned in Gaza. She became the first hostage hostage about what she suffered during her imprisonment.
“I resisted my best, but it was still not enough to prevent what happened to me. The darkness surrounded, but even in the dark, there was still something they could not deprive, that was the strength that Mom had transmitted to me. I vowed if I survived, I would never be silent.
She also called on the world to take action to bring the remaining hostages back. “Not tomorrow, not next week, but now,” she added.
International courageous women are the annual awards of the US Department of Foreign Affairs for women around the world, courageous, strong, talented leaders in the struggle for peace, justice, human rights, empowerment for women, girls and many other goals, and often have to accept risks and sacrifice. Soussana is one of 8 women awarded this year.
