Silent Cry: Sexual Crimes in the October 7 War

CONTENT WARNING: This report contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, torture, and murder.

• A link to the full report is HERE 
• Or download the full report HERE

An excerpt: 

Abstract

Hamas's attack on October 7 included brutal sexual assaults, carried out systematically and deliberately towards Israeli civilians. Numerous testimonies and pieces of disclosed and classified information present a clear picture of identical patterns of action repeated in each of the attack zones – the Nova Festival, private homes in the Gaza envelope kibbutzim, and IDF bases. With the abduction of 254 individuals to the Gaza Strip areas, sexual assaults continued to occur also in this arena. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that the kidnapped women and men in Hamas captivity are still at risk of sexual abuse at any given moment.

Hamas's attack included violent acts of rape, accompanied by threats with weapons, and in some cases targeted towards injured women. Many of the rapes were carried out as a group, with the participation of violent terrorists. Often, the rape was perpetrated in front of an audience – partners, family, or friends – in a manner intended to increase the pain and humiliation of all present. Hamas terrorists hunted young women and men who fled the Nova festival, and according to testimonies, dragged them by their hair amid screams. The actions targeted women, girls, and men. In most cases, the victims were killed after or even during the rape.

A series of testimonies, interviews, and additional sources attest that Hamas terrorists employed sadistic practices aimed at intensifying the degree of humiliation and terror inherent in sexual violence. Many of the bodies of sexual crime victims were found bound and shackled. The genitals of both women and men were brutally mutilated, and sometimes weapons were inserted into them. The terrorists did not stop at shooting; they also cut and mutilated sexual organs and other body parts with knives.

This report is the result of an initial examination of all the public and classified information, interviews, and testimonies that can be

Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War revealed at this time, which will likely increase with time. The report clearly demonstrates that sexual abuse was not an isolated incident or sporadic cases but rather a clear operational strategy.

Those who choose to remain silent, silence others, or deny the sexual crimes committed by Hamas will be remembered accordingly.