Report Details Systematic Sexual Violence by Hamas in October 7 Attacks

Hamas and its Palestinian collaborators used sexual and gender-based violence deliberately and systematically as part of the 2023 massacres in southern Israel, a report released Tuesday by the Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes Against Women and Children states.

The Israeli nonprofit documented evidence of abuse at sites including the Nova Music Festival, kibbutzim near the Gaza border, Israel Defense Forces bases, among hostages in captivity and in recovered bodies showing signs of sexual violence.

Investigators identified at least 13 recurring forms of abuse: rape, sexual torture, shootings to genital areas and acts after death.

Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder and chair of the commission and a principal co-author, told Fox News Digital the biggest challenge was repeated exposure to graphic material and associated trauma. "We had to not only collect materials, but also review and analyze it alongside forensic experts while witnessing human suffering at its worst," she said. "What motivated us was the denial, the hesitation and the questioning. We wanted to ensure that the world knows what happened to the victims. For us, it is a final act of justice for the victims."

The report detailed cases of sexual violence in front of or involving family members, including one where relatives were forced to act on each other. It accused Hamas and allies of using videos, digital platforms and social media to amplify psychological harm, spread fear and publicize attacks, including sexualized material.

Elkayam-Levy hopes counterterrorism and national security experts study the findings. "We cannot prevent what we do not fully understand," she said. "No single prosecution could ever capture the full magnitude of these crimes in the way this report does. It is therefore critical that policymakers, decision-makers, members of Congress and senators find ways to formally recognize these findings and hold hearings so we can begin addressing this issue. We want the findings of this report to receive formal institutional recognition."

Victims came from 52 countries, the report noted.

Witness accounts included a woman sexually assaulted before beheading; another dragged from a vehicle, pinned against a wall, repeatedly raped, stabbed, with assault continuing after death; and a man with severed genitals beside a woman holding them, an apparent effort to degrade victims.

Some female victims were found naked or partially unclothed, with mutilation and objects like grenades, nails and tools inserted in bodies. Gunshot wounds, cuts and burns targeted intimate areas. Some had broken pelvises or legs, bloodied underwear and abdominal or groin trauma.

Former hostages testified to rape, sexual torture and abuse during abduction or captivity. Female captives reported assaults in Gaza hospitals. Male hostages described shower assaults and acts under armed threat while naked. One said a captor rubbed genitals against his anus.

Last month, former hostage Rom Braslavski told Fox News Digital of his 738 days in Gaza: "They would hit me with whatever they had on hand. I underwent severe torture, bondage and sexual abuse. Everything they could do to me, they did. My body is still covered in scars. After four months of torture, I was clinically dead, rolling my eyes and passing out. They decided to stop the violence and brought doctors to treat me with injections and gave me food again."

Sexual and gender-based violence was widespread and systematic, an integral component of the attacks and captive treatment, the report said. It called prosecution an urgent priority via international mechanisms.

Recommendations included sanctions on individuals and entities tied to the attack and aftermath, action against denial or minimization of the crimes, and a specialized Israeli prosecutorial chamber for such offenses.

"The Commission further recommends that Israel adopt a comprehensive gender strategy within its prosecutorial framework and establish a specialized chamber or panel of judges dedicated to the prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes committed on October 7th and during captivity," the report said.

Elkayam-Levy said the report has drawn front-page coverage worldwide. "We feel the discussion has shifted from questioning whether these crimes occurred to examining their consequences," she said. "There is now a substantial legal evidentiary foundation preserved in a secure archive that cannot be denied."