A new report detailing the sexual violence committed by Hamas during the October 7 attacks will be published this week by "Dinah Project," an organization that collects and documents the use of sexual violence as a tool of war by Hamas in several different areas in the Gaza envelope.
The report, which was reported on today (Sunday) in The Sunday Times, includes testimonies from survivors of captivity, a victim from the Nova Festival, and about twenty other witnesses. The findings reveal a horrific, disturbing and systematic pattern of sexual violence that occurred during the terrorist attack at at least six different locations, including incidents of rape.
The report highlights clear patterns in the way sexual violence was perpetrated, including victims found partially or completely naked with their hands tied, often to trees or poles; evidence of gang rape followed by executions; and genital mutilation.
According to the report, these incidents occurred at the Nova Festival, on Route 232, at the military base in Nahal Oz, and in three kibbutzim: Re'im, Nir Oz, and Kfar Azza. Additionally, hostages endured abuse during captivity. "Sexual violence continued in captivity. Survivors reported forced nudity, physical and verbal sexual harassment, sexual assaults, and threats of forced marriages," the report adds.
The Dinah Project brings forward new evidence, including firsthand testimonies from 15 hostages who experienced sexual violence in captivity, with only one publicly speaking out: Amit Susanna.
The researchers also interviewed 17 people who saw or heard about the attacks and described them in detail. Among them were two brothers who hid in the thicket and Tali Biner, who hid in a container. They described 15 incidents, including gang rape. Finally, they spoke with 27 emergency response personnel who arrived at various sites in the Gaza envelope and described dozens of incidents, as well as analyzing forensic evidence from photos and videos.
“What we found clarifies that sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred in multiple places,” said Halperin-Kadri, one of the researchers. "Women were found dead, naked, and mutilated - shot in their genitals and tied to trees. The fact that these things happened in three to six different locations cannot be a coincidence; it proves that it was premeditated." "Many of the witnesses we spoke to spoke about victims who were shot, and how the terrorists still tried to rape them," she said.
Judge (ret.) Nava Ben-Or, who participated in the project, said: "Sexual violence in conflict aims at the destruction and dehumanization of a community. Therefore, the idea of finding a specific perpetrator who harmed a specific victim is irrelevant. To say 'when I joined Hamas, I only intended to kill women and children, but I am strongly against rape' is absurd. Everything done as part of the attack you are responsible for."