Sexual Violence in Hamas Attack

This article was last updated on December 6, 2023

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Reports and International Reaction

The first reports of gruesome rapes appeared the day after the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7. They came through first images and testimonies. Now, two months later, more and more is becoming clear. In recent days, several international media have recorded extensive testimonies that paint a picture of the sexual violence.

The UN announced an investigation last week and published it yesterday the BBC and AP news agency long articles in which victims and witnesses have their say. The stories are intense. A woman raped and then killed by several Hamas members, a 14-year-old girl found with traces of sexual violence on her lifeless body.

‘Planned and instructed’

To start with the last question. Israel accuses the United Nations and others of reacting too slowly to reports that Hamas used widespread sexual violence against women during the terror attack in early October. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said that Hamas deliberately used rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war in its attack on Israel. He also criticized international bodies for their indifference towards Israeli women.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also expressed his fury about the lack of international response during a press conference. He criticized women’s rights organizations and human rights organizations for their silence on the matter.

On November 30, UN chief António Guterres spoke out about the rapes and announced the establishment of a commission to investigate war crimes on both sides and focus on sexual violence.

Local Response and Investigations

Correspondent Nasrah Habiballah stated that the news about sexual violence by Hamas has been circulating in Israel since the beginning and everyone immediately believed them. However, the surprise in Israel is that the rest of the world was not more outraged about this.

Last month, Israeli police announced that forensic evidence, video and witness statements, and interrogations of suspects are being documented for investigation. According to police, more than 1,000 statements and more than 60,000 video clips have been collected from that day. This also included images of sexual violence against women.

Collecting physical evidence for the violence proves difficult as detectives were unable to do their work for a long time due to the threatening situation and the danger of new Hamas attacks. Also, according to the news website Times of Israel, some bodies may have been so severely mutilated that finding sperm or DNA traces was not possible.

Alleged Deliberate Actions

The head of the Israeli committee charged with collecting testimonies about sexual crimes suspects that the group carried out the rapes deliberately, stating that it feels like Hamas learned from IS how to use women’s bodies as weapons. There are also cases of fatalities whose pelvises have been broken. The committee chairman calls for international recognition and speaks of systematic abuse and crimes against humanity by Hamas.

Police Commissioner Dudi Katz, who is closely involved in the Israeli police investigation, states that it would be “reckless” to jump to conclusions but also affirms that the rape was systematic, as per data from the telephones of Hamas attackers.

Complications and Tragic Discoveries

The Israeli investigation is complicated by the fact that victims are dead or have been admitted severely traumatized. People who can tell the story are, for example, paramedics who were quickly on the scene after the terrorist attack. One of them described finding a girl lying on her stomach on the floor with evidence indicating rape.