Sexual violence was 'systematic, integral' to Hamas-led October 7 terror assault, study finds

Key Points:

• A comprehensive investigation by the Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes found that sexual and gender-based violence during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in Israel was systematic, widespread, and strategically used to terrorize Israeli society.
• The 300-page report, based on over 430 interviews and thousands of pieces of evidence, detailed 13 types of sexual violence including rape, sexual torture, mutilation, and sexual assaults in front of family members, concluding these acts constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal acts.
• Testimonies from survivors and witnesses describe extreme brutality, including gang rapes, sexual violence against men and women, and coerced sexual abuse among hostages held in Gaza, with perpetrators deliberately recording and disseminating these acts as psychological warfare.
• The report, endorsed by prominent international legal experts and politicians, calls for Israeli authorities to prosecute the perpetrators specifically for sexual and gender-based crimes and aims to preserve evidence against atrocity denial.
• The Civil Commission plans to share the findings with national parliaments and international decision-makers to ensure the atrocities are formally recognized and remembered, emphasizing sexual violence as a central component of the October 7 terrorist assault.