A recent report by an Israeli non-profit organization revealed that sexual violence played a significant role in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 and their aftermath. The report, named “Silenced No More,” was released by the Civil Commission, an independent group that extensively studied and documented gender-based violence perpetrated by Hamas following its 2023 assault on Israel, which initiated the conflict in Gaza.
This comprehensive investigation spanned two years and incorporated over 400 testimonies and nearly 2,000 hours of visual analysis, uncovering 13 distinct patterns of violence, such as gang rape, sexual torture, and enforced nudity. According to Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the founder and chair of the commission and lead author of the report, these findings indicate a deliberate strategy within the broader framework of terror inflicted upon victims and captives.
The politicization of sexual violence has been evident since the Gaza conflict began, with both sides attempting to undermine each other’s claims. Israel has highlighted incidents during the October 7 attacks and the treatment of hostages to emphasize what it perceives as Hamas’ brutality and to justify its wartime objective of averting any future threats from Gaza. The Israeli government has accused the international community of downplaying evidence of sexual violence, citing anti-Israel bias.
The report’s conclusions, though unverifiable by The Associated Press, have faced scrutiny, with some questioning Elkayam-Levy’s prior research. Nevertheless, several notable figures, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, and Sheryl Sandberg, have endorsed her work.
The United Nations has indicated “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas militants engaged in rape and other forms of sexual violence during the conflict. Furthermore, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, suggested that three key Hamas leaders could be held responsible for “rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity.”
Human rights organizations and Palestinians detained by Israel post-attacks have also shared detailed accounts of sexual abuse and torture in Israeli detention facilities. In a recent development, Israel dropped charges against five soldiers accused of assaulting a Palestinian detainee, a decision welcomed by hard-line politicians but criticized by human rights groups as indicative of Israel’s reluctance to investigate abuses.
Both the Israeli government and Hamas have not responded to requests for comments from The Associated Press. The commission, comprising researchers, lawyers, and trauma experts, gathered digital evidence, conducted interviews, filmed testimonies, and cross-referenced information from various sources to compile the report.
The report highlighted that women and hostages were the primary targets of Hamas and its allies, with children also experiencing violence and abuse. Instances of sexual coercion, torture, and degradation were described, including survivors enduring burns, mutilation, and forced object insertion. The report also mentioned that armed groups recorded instances of abuse and circulated the footage on social media platforms.
The report documented assaults at various locations, including the Nova Music festival, where numerous individuals were killed and others taken captive. Testimonies revealed instances of sexual harassment and assault endured by hostages over extended periods. Survivors who were released spoke out about their experiences of being sexually assaulted in captivity, underscoring the severe impact of sexual violence during the conflict.
