Hostage survivor Rom Breslavsky: “I saw young women lying in blood”
“Inside a large yellow trash bin, I saw a pile of bodies women, adults, and small children covered in blood. They were murdered and slaughtered just for being Israelis, Jews.”
Rom Breslavsky a survivor of captivity, spoke at a conference in Italy held by the ruling party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday night, recounting his experiences during the October 7 attacks.
Breslavsky opened his speech by expressing gratitude for the invitation, saying, “I was very moved to receive your request to visit Italy and to get to know it up close.”
He highlighted the significance of the hostages’ pin he wore, explaining, “This pin represents our pain. I find it terrible that not everyone in the world knows what it symbolizes.”
Describing the events of October 7, Breslavsky said, “I saw in my eyes one word: massacre. When I was abducted, I saw the horrors. I saw young and beautiful women lying on the floor, riddled with bullets. Their clothes were torn, and blood covered the entire area.” He continued, “Inside a large yellow trash bin, I saw a pile of bodies women, adults, and small children covered in blood. They were murdered and slaughtered just for being Israelis, Jews.”
Breslavsky also recounted the abuse he endured during captivity: “Throughout the entire time, Islamic Jihad killed me mentally and physically, every day.” He noted the lasting trauma for fellow survivors, saying, “I know hostages who returned and cannot communicate, who lost their minds. This captivity is not a way to live—and certainly not for human beings.”
Reflecting on his life before captivity, Breslavsky said, “Before the deal, I worked as a security guard at a party. My life was ruined. I went to work as a security guard at a party, and look what happened to me. My life was ruined.” He urged the audience to continue working for justice and peace: “Dear people, continue the good work for the sake of justice and peace—something I believed in before 7.10.”
He concluded with a testimony of survival and resilience: “Until two months ago, I was inside Gaza. Forty meters underground, with torn clothes, after not showering for at least a month and not eating for a whole day. And today, look at the suit I’m wearing. The tables have turned – and only thanks to miracles of the great God.”
Breslavsky received enthusiastic applause and warm responses from the audience at the end of his speech.