A burning house in Kibbutz Kfar Azza during the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 carried out by the Islamist Hamas.Image: AP
May 12, 2026, 06:58May 12, 2026, 08:58
According to an investigation, systematic use of sexual violence occurred during the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and when numerous abductees were held hostage. A civilian commission in Israel released its conclusions after an investigation lasting more than two years.
The report speaks of “rape and gang rape, sexual torture and mutilation, forced nudity, executions in connection with sexual violence, sexual attacks on corpses and sexual attacks in the presence of family members”.
Candles in memory of the victims of the Nova music festival.Image: keystone
Scope and basis of the investigation
According to the commission, the approximately 300-page report is based on extensive witness statements, visual documentation and forensic evidence. “13 recurring patterns of abuse at different locations and in different phases of the attacks” were identified. This also included “persistent sexualized violence in hostage confinement as well as the targeted digital distribution of violence to increase terror and humiliation.” The results showed that these crimes were not isolated incidents, but rather a “widespread and systematic pattern of violence.”
Unprecedented Hamas attack and devastating Gaza war
On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out an unprecedented terrorist attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people in border communities and at a music festival and abducting more than 250 people to the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which led to a protracted war and triggered a serious humanitarian crisis.
Because of its harsh crackdown in the Gaza war, in which tens of thousands of people were killed, Israel has repeatedly been accused of war crimes and, in some cases, genocide. The Israeli government strictly rejects this accusation. Some of the hostages were freed by the Israeli army, others were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Mortal remains were also handed over.
The war in the Gaza Strip and its consequences: Palestinians wait for food deliveries from the World Food Program – two years after the start of the war.Image: keystone
Commission creates “war crimes archive”
Survivors of the Nova music festival reported that they witnessed rape and the subsequent murder of the victim. After their release, Israeli hostages recounted sexual assaults while held hostage in the Gaza Strip. A helper at a mortuary reported that victims of October 7th had mutilated faces and genitals.
“For two years we listened to survivors and witnesses, carefully evaluated the evidence and dealt with material that is often difficult to understand,” said lawyer Cochav Elkajam Levy, founder of the civil commission. The evidence was stored in a “war crimes archive” to ensure “that their voices are heard and the world knows what happened,” she said. “We cannot prevent future atrocities if we ignore, deny, question or look the other way.” Hamas itself denied sexual violence on October 7th.
Rigorous review of evidence
The report provides a detailed roadmap for criminal prosecution, the commission said in a statement. The head of the commission and lawyer Merav Israeli-Amarant emphasized that the evidence was strictly checked and compared during the documentation. These were based, among other things, on hundreds of interviews, photos, videos, site visits, forensic assessments and geolocation. The aim has always been “to establish the truth with precision, independence and integrity while protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of survivors, victims and their families”. (nil/sda/dpa)