Hostages Released from Gaza Report Sexual Violence; Israeli Study Concludes Hamas Used It as Weapon During October 7 Events

Thirteen women and two men who were held captive by Hamas reported experiencing or witnessing sexual violence during their captivity in Gaza, according to a recent report by the Dinah Project, a group of Israeli researchers.

Testimonies and Evidence

The Dinah Project team collected first-hand accounts from 15 returned hostages, one survivor of an attempted rape during the October 7, 2023 attacks, 17 witnesses, and 27 first responders who attended the scenes.

These testimonies, along with forensic reports, photographs, and videos from the attacks, led the researchers to conclude that sexual violence was used in a widespread and systematic manner during the events of October 7.

The report includes descriptions of survivors' experiences. One female hostage reported being beaten and sexually assaulted at gunpoint while in captivity. She stated she was restrained by an iron ankle chain for three weeks and was repeatedly questioned about her menstrual cycle. The report also notes that many of the 15 former hostages were threatened with rape in the context of forced marriage. Most reported verbal sexual harassment, and some reported physical harassment, including unwanted touching.

International Response and Investigations

Israeli officials have previously stated that international organizations, including the United Nations and its agencies, did not sufficiently address reports of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks.

The Dinah Project was established after the attacks to document and seek justice for victims of sexual violence. The group consists of legal and gender experts and is led by legal scholar Ruth Halperin-Kaddari and Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas. It operates under the Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women at Bar-Ilan University.

The United Nations officially acknowledged the use of sexual violence during the attacks approximately five months after October 7. Following a mission to Israel, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, published a report stating there were reasonable grounds to believe conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations, and that there was evidence that hostages in Gaza were subjected to sexual assaults.

Hamas has denied allegations of sexual violence, stating in December that such claims were unfounded.

Challenges in Evidence Collection

The scale of the attacks on October 7 resulted in first responders and investigators facing significant challenges. According to Jewish customs, bodies are to be buried as soon as possible after death, so first responders, many of whom were Orthodox Jewish volunteers, focused on recovering remains rather than conducting investigations.

In many cases, authorities were unable to collect sufficient forensic evidence because they were present while the attacks were ongoing. As a result, there were often no detailed records or photographs of the crime scenes immediately after the events. The report notes that many victims of sexual violence were killed, leading to a lack of first-hand testimonies.

As hostages were released and more time passed, researchers were able to gather additional first-hand evidence as survivors processed their experiences.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The Dinah Project researchers called for the sexual violence committed during the attacks to be recognized as crimes against humanity. They recommended that those responsible be held accountable and that the actions receive international condemnation.