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Now a report has come out regarding the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which has shocked the entire world. An independent Israeli investigation claims that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups used ‘systematic and widespread sexual violence’ against hostages during and after the attack.

In this detailed report of about 300 pages, it has been alleged that sexual violence was used as a strategic weapon to mentally and physically break women, men, children and even the elderly. According to the report, incidents like ‘rape, sexual torture and public humiliation’ were carried out not just as violence but as a way to spread terror. However, Hamas has been rejecting such allegations in the past also.

10 thousand photos, 430 interviews and many serious claims

Investigators conducted more than 430 interviews and analyzed more than 10,000 photographs and video footage to prepare the report. These include evidence collected from the crime scenes, testimony of eyewitnesses and videos allegedly recorded by the attackers. The report said the sexual violence was not an isolated incident but was part of a planned pattern. Investigators claim that in many cases the victims were brutalized not only while they were alive but also after death.

Claim of vandalism even with dead bodies of women

The report quoted several eyewitnesses as saying that some women were allegedly subjected to incidents like rape, mutilation and public humiliation. In some cases, victims were also alleged to have been killed during or immediately after sexual violence. Investigators claimed that some bodies were displayed like “trophies”. The report calls these incidents ‘killer sexual violence’, the aim of which was to mentally break not just the individual but the entire family and society.

Relationships and emotions were also made weapons

The most horrifying part of the report relates to allegations that family members were being used against each other. According to investigators, some hostages were allegedly forced to endure humiliating conditions in front of their own relatives. The report wrote that these acts weaponize the deepest bonds of human relationships and emotions, so that pain and mental devastation can be inflicted to the maximum level. It was further said that these cause more emotional pain and mental trauma than the initial violent incidents and sometimes lead to trauma that lasts for generations.

What happened at Nova Music Festival?

According to the report, the most alleged sexual violence occurred in Israeli communities and at the Nova Music Festival, where more than 370 people were killed. Eyewitnesses claimed that they saw or heard incidents of gang rape, violence and public humiliation there. Many witnesses said that many of the bodies found at the scene were semi-nude and showed signs of serious injuries and mutilation. The testimony of Nova Festival survivor Raz Cohen is also included in the report.

Violence continued even during captivity?

The investigation report claims that the alleged sexual violence was not limited to the attack alone, but also continued during captivity in Gaza. According to reports, many hostages were kept in tunnels and safe havens for months. Former hostage Agam Goldstein, who was released after a month, described the mental anguish as ‘these little things break a person from the inside, when you have no control over your own body and you can’t even decide how to take care of your body.’ The report also claimed that men, boys and the elderly were also made victims of alleged sexual violence.

Accusations like war crimes and crimes against humanity

The commission of inquiry concluded that the incidents recorded in the report could fall into the category of ‘war crimes’, ‘crimes against humanity’ and ‘genocide-like acts’. Dr. Kochav Elkayim-Levi, founder of the commission, said the report reveals that sexual violence was a deliberate strategy, carried out with extreme brutality. He further said that for two years we listened to the victims and eyewitnesses, examined the evidence very closely and faced such facts which are sometimes difficult to understand.

Why is this report considered important?

According to experts, this is considered to be one of the most detailed investigations to date, in which allegations of alleged sexual violence during the October 7 attack have been systematically documented. This report has come out at a time when the world is already divided into two parts regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the coming time, this report can have a big impact on international politics, human rights debate and investigation of war crimes.