Content warning: This article contains disturbing and graphic content and descriptions of sexual violence
TEL AVIV – A leading Israeli rape victims’ charity has said that at least “a few dozen” people were sexually abused by Hamas militants on and after the 7 October attacks.
Orit Sulitzeanu, chief executive of the Association of Rape Crisis Centres in Israel (ARCCI), added that more evidence of the sexual violence by Hamas was emerging.
She said that soon after the attack on 7 October, her association started to hear “a trickle of information about sexual violence”, which has since turned into a flood.
“At first there was disbelief, because despite the terrorism, we didn’t believe this kind of thing could happen.”
But reports started to come in from health workers and therapists who had seen survivors, she added.
The charity’s researchers say they have now heard first-hand evidence from survivors that they were sexually abused by 7 October attackers, and i has spoken to volunteers who saw bodies after the attack, investigators and Israeli officials who back the claims.
In Israel, and particularly among survivors, there has been considerable anger that reports of rape on 7 October have allegedly been downplayed or disputed in some international media.
Given what is now known, “I assume a few dozen people were sexually abused in various ways,” Ms Sulitzeanu added.
Last week Pramila Patten, the UN’s special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, said there was “clear and convincing information” of Hamas rape and sexualised torture and that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe such abuses were “ongoing”.
On Monday, she told the UN Security Council that this added to the “moral imperative” for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
ARCCI provided the evidence it had gathered to Ms Patten. It has also published a report documenting its evidence of sex crimes by Hamas.
Noga Berger, one of the ARCCI report’s authors, said she thought the UN report had come out too early. “In a year’s time there will be a lot more evidence and information on what happened,” she said.
The ARCCI says that some information has been withheld due to privacy concerns.
Ms Sulitzeanu said it was typical that testimonies and evidence of sexual violence in conflict emerged slowly due to barriers of shame and humiliation that victims felt.
Nonetheless, the ARCCI report claims there is clear evidence that the terrorists sexually abused men as well as women and girls, and that in most cases, “the victims were murdered after or even during the rape”.
Ms Berger said rapes occurred in the kibbutzes, at the Re’im music festival and at overrun IDF bases. “We saw a pattern of violence,” she said.
The report’s other author, Carmit Klar-Chalamish, said: “There was a lot of gang rape, and rape in front of family members. It was very brutal and sadistic.”
Survivors have reported sexual assaults in the festival arena, including so-called “group rape”. These testimonies align with descriptions from first responders and personnel who handled corpses at IDF bases and kibbutzim. Hostages released from Gaza have also reported sexual abuse by Hamas.
Having consulted with war crimes investigators in Ukraine and former Yugoslavia, the ARCCI reseachers say there is strong evidence systemic sexual violence similar to that seen in other conflicts.
Ms Sulitzeanu acknowledges that the disputes over sexual violence claims might be, in part, due to some early reports that have since been debunked, as well as the absence of Hamas videos showing sexual assaults.
The terrorist group was happy to release videos of its murders and torture of Israelis. But some observers have suggested that rape was probably considered “haram” and unwelcome publicity even for this brutal Islamist group.
“We heard: ‘It’s haram so it didn’t happen,’” said Ms Sulitzeanu. “I wish that were true.”
At the UN Security Council on Monday, Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, noted the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and said: “Let me take this opportunity to bless our Muslim brothers: Ramadan Kareem [blessed Ramadan].
“Hamas is not speaking on behalf of the Muslim world, and we are asking you to condemn the sexual violence crimes that these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion.”
Ms Patten emphasised that the evidence of sex crimes by Hamas did not “in any way legitimise further hostilities”.
She added: “Continuation of hostilities can, in no way, protect them,” she said. “It can only expose them to further risk of violence, including sexual violence.”
