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A grieving couple visits a makeshift memorial dedicated to the victims of the October 7 attack, surrounded by heartfelt tributes and personal mementos.
Israeli Experts Accuse Hamas of Using Sexual Violence as a War Tactic
A newly released report from an all-women panel of Israeli legal and gender experts has alleged that sexual violence was deliberately employed by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The findings, part of an initiative called The Dinah Project, aim to build a case for international justice and accountability for gender-based crimes committed during armed conflict.
The report — based on survivor testimonies, forensic evidence, and independent witness accounts — presents what the authors describe as a legal blueprint for prosecuting such crimes even in complex, chaotic war conditions where identifying individual perpetrators is difficult.
Hamas has publicly denied allegations of sexual violence against women and female hostages. However, in March 2024, a United Nations fact-finding mission reported there were credible grounds to believe that incidents of sexual violence, including rape and abuse, occurred in multiple locations during the October 7 attack.
A Call for Global Accountability
The Dinah Project was founded in the aftermath of the attack by a team of respected Israeli legal professionals, including legal scholar Ruth Halperin-Kaddar, former chief military prosecutor Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, and retired judge Nava Ben-Or. Their report argues that the documented sexual assaults were not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy aimed at instilling fear and destabilizing Israeli society.
“This report establishes that acts of sexual violence were widespread, systematic, and used as a tactical weapon,” the authors state, calling for an international legal response.
The report also proposes a new evidentiary framework for prosecuting gender-based crimes in wartime, particularly in cases where victims have been killed, or evidence has been partially destroyed. This includes categorizing information based on proximity to events, corroborating testimony, and forensic findings.
Eyewitness Testimonies and Hostage Accounts
According to the report, testimony from survivors, released hostages, and first responders described numerous incidents of sexual violence during the October 7 attack. Several accounts emerged from the Nova music festival, military outposts, and kibbutzim communities.
While exact numbers remain difficult to verify, witnesses recounted multiple cases of abuse, including both physical and verbal harassment. The report emphasizes that many victims remain too traumatized to speak, and a significant number were killed during the initial attacks.
Notably, even before Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Hamas leadership, several senior Hamas commanders were named in arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court, facing charges including crimes against humanity, rape, and other grave offenses.
Broader Conflict Context
The October 7 assault by Hamas and affiliated militant groups resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that, according to Gaza’s health authorities, has led to the deaths of over 57,500 people.
The ongoing conflict has sparked international concern over humanitarian conditions in Gaza, with the United Nations and human rights organizations calling for an immediate ceasefire and investigation into allegations of war crimes on all sides.
International Legal Roadmap Proposed
In a bid to confront the challenges of prosecuting sexual violence in war zones, where evidence can be scarce and survivors are often silenced, the Dinah Project’s report outlines a pioneering legal framework. This approach includes new evidentiary standards and guidelines for attributing criminal responsibility, even in situations where it is difficult to tie individual perpetrators to specific incidents.
“This effort is about securing justice for the victims and affirming international principles that prohibit sexual violence in conflict,” the report concludes.
Global Implications
Experts believe the Dinah Project’s findings could influence how future cases of conflict-related sexual violence are handled globally, offering a model for other conflict zones. By setting legal precedents and refining prosecutorial methods, it marks a significant step towards addressing wartime sexual violence as a serious violation of international law.
The authors call on the international community, human rights bodies, and legal authorities to treat such crimes with the gravity they deserve and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.
