BackWORLD
Hamas Forced Captives From Israel To Have Sex With Family Members: Report
An independent Israeli investigation details a campaign of 'systematic, widespread' sexual violence by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups during the Oct 7, 2023 attacks and the ensuing hostage crisis. The 300-page report draws on more than 430 interviews and over 10,000 photographs and videos, describing rape, sexual torture and humiliation, including acts targeting families, and labels the crimes as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Why It Matters
The findings constitute one of the most extensive examinations of sexual violence in this conflict and flag deliberate, systemic abuses with long-term psychological and societal impact, raising questions of accountability.
Timeline
3 Events
Survivor testimonies cited in the report, including Raz Cohen and Darin Komarov
May 13, 2026
Testimonies cited in the report describe sexual violence at the Nova festival and in overrun communities, with accounts of rapes, mutilation and coercive sexual acts within families; Raz Cohen described witnessing an attack at the festival and Darin Komarov recalled hearing the assaults nearby.
Independent Israeli commission releases a 300-page report detailing sexual violence
May 13, 2026
The commission’s findings are based on more than 430 interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses and former hostages, and analysis of over 10,000 photographs and videos from attack sites and material filmed by the attackers. The report describes rape, sexual torture and humiliation intended to maximise pain, including kinocidal sexual violence targeting family members, and concludes the documented acts constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.
October 7, 2023: Hamas attacks across Israel and at the Nova music festival
October 7, 2023
The report notes that on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched attacks described as massacres in Israeli communities and at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, where more than 370 people were killed. The assault was part of a broader hostage crisis that followed, with about 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage.