New report accuses Hamas of forcing Israeli hostages into sexual acts with family members

An independent Israeli investigation has accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups of carrying out “systematic and widespread” sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks and the hostage crisis that followed.

The 300-page report alleges that rape, sexual torture and humiliation were deliberately used to inflict extreme physical and psychological suffering on victims and their families. According to the BBC, the findings are based on more than 430 interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses and former hostages, along with over 10,000 photographs and videos collected from attack sites and footage allegedly recorded by the attackers themselves.

The inquiry is being described as one of the most detailed investigations so far into allegations of sexual violence linked to the October 7 attacks, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Allegations of abuse during attacks and captivity

According to the report, women were allegedly assaulted both before and after death, with witnesses describing incidents involving rape, mutilation and public humiliation. Investigators claimed some victims were killed during or after sexual assaults and that bodies were later displayed publicly. The report described certain acts as “kinocidal sexual violence,” alleging they were intended to destroy family bonds and cause lasting psychological trauma.

Among the allegations were claims that captives were threatened with forced marriage and that relatives held together were allegedly coerced into sexual acts involving family members. “These acts weaponise the deepest human bonds to maximise pain and psychological devastation,” the report stated. “They exacerbate emotional distress and trauma beyond the initial acts and often create multigenerational trauma.”

One section of the investigation detailed allegations involving two young relatives who were reportedly forced into sexual acts by captors. Investigators described the case as part of what they called “a distinct pattern of violence targeting family members and exploiting familial relationships as instruments of terror.”

Survivors recount scenes from October 7

Nova music festival survivor Raz Cohen described witnessing one of the alleged assaults in testimony cited in the report.

“The men pulled a woman from the vehicle … forcibly removed her clothing, and raped her,” Cohen.

Another survivor, Darin Komarov, recalled hearing assaults taking place nearby during the attack.

“You hear it. It’s right next to you. You hear the screams,” he said. “And then you hear silence.”

The report stated that much of the alleged abuse occurred during attacks on Israeli communities and at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, where more than 370 people were killed. Investigators also alleged that sexual violence continued during captivity in Gaza, including inside tunnels and safe houses where hostages were reportedly held for months.

Former hostage Agam Goldstein, who was released after more than a month in captivity, described the emotional toll of being held hostage. “It’s these little things that break you. When you have no control over your body and no control over how to take care of your body,” she said.

The commission further concluded that men, boys and elderly captives were also subjected to sexual violence during both the attacks and captivity.

Report says sexual violence was used deliberately

Witnesses cited in the report described hearing or witnessing gang rapes at the Nova festival and in attacked kibbutzim and military bases. Some testimonies also referred to bodies found partially unclothed or allegedly showing signs of mutilation.

The commission concluded that the acts documented in the investigation could amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide, according to the New York Post. “The report reveals that sexual violence was a deliberate strategy, carried out with exceptional cruelty,” said commission founder Cochav Elkayam-Levy.

“For two years, we have listened to survivors and witnesses, painstakingly examined the evidence, and confronted material that is often beyond comprehension,” she added.