Hostages recount harrowing experiences of sexual abuse; Israeli report accuses Hamas of employing sexual violence as a tactic in the ongoing conflict, reported on October 7.
In a shocking revelation, a recent report by The Dinah Project, an Israeli NGO specialising in documenting crimes against humanity, has exposed the systematic deployment of sexual violence by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 terror attacks. The report, titled *“A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,”* offers the most comprehensive legal and evidentiary analysis to date on sexual and gender-based crimes committed by Hamas during the attacks and subsequently against hostages held in captivity.
The 80-page report argues that these acts constitute crimes against humanity due to their deliberate, widespread, and systematic nature, not isolated incidents. The authors call for international legal bodies to hold the perpetrators accountable and for the development of new legal protocols to address sexual violence in armed conflicts.
Israeli authorities have also documented multiple instances of sexual assault during the attacks on Israeli communities. Evidence was collected through witness statements, video footage, forensic autopsies, and testimonies from captured Hamas fighters. However, challenges remain in fully documenting the scope due to difficulties in gathering physical evidence in war zones.
The United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, has acknowledged and raised awareness of these tactics, emphasising the need for accountability and justice for victims, in line with international human rights standards.
The Dinah Project, led by legal scholar Ruth Halperin-Kaddari and Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, the former chief military prosecutor of the Israel Defense Forces, gathered testimonies from the 15 returned hostages, one survivor of an attempted rape, 17 eye and ear witnesses, and 27 first responders. The project's findings suggest that Hamas used sexual violence systematically and tactically as a "weapon of war."
One female hostage was beaten, sexually assaulted at gunpoint, and was chained by an iron ankle chain for three weeks while in captivity. Many of the 15 former hostages were threatened with rape in the form of forced marriage. In many instances, authorities did not have a chance to collect sufficient forensic evidence because they were attending scenes while the attacks were still ongoing.
Almost all of the victims of sexual violence were murdered by their attackers, resulting in almost no first-hand testimonies. As some of the hostages were released and more time passed, allowing victims to process their experiences, researchers were able to collect more comprehensive first-hand evidence.
Despite Hamas' denial of the use of sexual violence, stating that the allegations are "unfounded lies," the evidence presented in the Dinah Project's report accuses Hamas of widespread sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 terror attacks. The report urges for the perpetrators of the sexual violence to be held accountable and receive international condemnation.
This marks a significant development in the understanding and documentation of the horrific use of sexual violence in this conflict. The UN's acknowledgment of the use of sexual violence during the attacks came five months after October 7, emphasising the importance of thorough investigation and documentation in the aftermath of such atrocities.
- The Dinah Project's report on the October 7, 2023 terror attacks, pertaining to the Middle East, also highlights instances of sexual violence in the general-news category.
- In coupled discussions about politics and crime-and-justice, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, has spotlighted these atrocities committed by Hamas during the attacks.
- Science and health-and-wellness communities are called upon to address the mental-health implications for victims of sexual violence in armed conflicts, as documented by the Dinah Project's report.
- The World's attention is drawn to the war-and-conflicts region of the Middle East, as the Dinah Project's report serves as a demand for justice and accountability in the face of systematic sexual violence by Hamas.
