Former Hostage Amit Soussana will receive the International Woman of Courage Award from the US State Department next Tuesday at a ceremony in Washington. 

First Lady Melania Trump will present the award, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in attendance.

Sossana said she was “deeply proud” to receive this award, following the announcement.

“I accept this award on behalf of the brave women who fought with unimaginable courage on October 7, resisting terror in their homes,” Sousanna said.

“I accept this award on behalf of the women who fought in the war, and on behalf of the women who suffered in captivity – who found strength in one another, helping each other survive the unimaginable,” she continued.

Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)
Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)
“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said.

Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.

“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded.

Soussana's captivy

Soussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days.

She is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. 

Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.

Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council.

Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.