Summary
The Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children has released "Silenced No More," a comprehensive investigation into systematic sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) committed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel and in subsequent captivity. Drawing on over 430 testimonies from survivors, witnesses, and first responders—corroborated through digital forensics and geolocation analysis—the Commission identified 13 distinct patterns of SGBV, including rape, gang rape, sexual torture, and the deliberate killing of victims mid-assault, a phenomenon termed "kinocidal sexual violence." The report further documents the weaponization of digital platforms to amplify and disseminate footage of attacks, as well as ongoing abuse suffered by hostages held in Gaza. The Commission’s findings are corroborated by international bodies including the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the International Criminal Court. The report concludes that these acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under isolated incidents.
Detailed Report
1. Background: Civil Commission Established to Document October 7 War Crimes
The Civil Commission was established in the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks with the explicit mission to document, research, and raise international awareness of war crimes and gender-based violence committed by Hamas and its collaborators against women, children, and families. The Commission operates as an independent, non-governmental organization, structurally and operationally separate from Israeli law enforcement and government authorities. Its work is guided by survivor-centered and trauma-informed principles, prioritizing the dignity, autonomy, and psychological well-being of survivors throughout all investigative activities.
2. Investigative Methods: Survivor Testimonies, Forensics, and Digital Analysis
The Commission’s investigation is grounded in a rigorous, survivor-centered methodology. Over two years, the Commission conducted more than 430 formal and informal interviews, including survivors, witnesses, released hostages, medical professionals, first responders, family members, and subject-matter experts. The October 7 War Crimes Archive, constructed for this investigation, contains over 10,000 photographs and video segments, totaling more than 1,800 hours of visual material, as well as audio recordings, official records, and medical documentation. All materials were systematically logged, coded, and mapped across time and geography, with digital forensics and geolocation analysis used to authenticate and contextualize evidence. The investigation adhered to the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations, OHCHR standards, and EDRM archival standards, ensuring chain-of-custody and legal admissibility. Trauma-informed and survivor consent procedures, including the “do no harm” principle and the Murad Code, were strictly followed, with all participation voluntary and confidential. The Commission’s findings were subject to expert consultation and interdisciplinary peer review, and the archive was constructed as a secure, access-controlled repository for future legal proceedings.
3. Findings: Thirteen Patterns of SGBV Identified
The report identifies thirteen recurring patterns of SGBV, each substantiated by site-specific evidence, forensic and testimonial corroboration, and, where available, statistics on the number of victims and incidents:
· Rape, Gang Rape, and Sexual Assault: Documented at the Nova Music Festival, kibbutzim (Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz), and in captivity, with forensic evidence and multiple testimonies confirming dozens of cases.
· Sexual Torture, Including Burning and Mutilation: Forensic pathologists documented burns to the groin and chest, mutilated breasts, and stab wounds to the vagina, particularly at Be’eri and Kfar Aza.
· Deliberate Shootings to Head, Face, and Genitals: Victims were systematically shot at close range in sexualized ways, with forensic evidence from Nova, kibbutzim, and Nahal Oz military base.
· Killings and Executions Following or During SGBV: Numerous cases where victims were killed immediately after or during acts of sexual violence, confirmed by forensic analysis.
· Postmortem Sexual Abuse and Desecration: Bodies found in positions suggesting sexual violation after death, with evidence from Nova, Be’eri, and Shura camp.
· Forced Nudity and Exposure: Victims stripped at attack sites and in captivity, with dozens of cases documented across all major locations.
· Handcuffing, Binding, and Restraint: Victims found bound in ways facilitating assault, with forensic evidence of ligature marks.
· Public Display and Parading: Women and children paraded naked or partially clothed, both alive and dead, at Nova and during abductions to Gaza.
· Abduction of Mothers and Children: 41 mothers abducted, 19 with children, including infants; the Bibas family’s abduction and murder are detailed.
· SGBV in Presence of Family Members (“Kinocidal” Violence): Sexual violence inflicted in front of family members, including cases of coerced incest.
· Filming and Digital Dissemination: Systematic filming, livestreaming, and dissemination of abuse, including use of victims’ own devices and social media.
· Threats of Forced Marriage: Hostages threatened with forced marriage and sexual enslavement, with several documented cases.
· Rape and Sexual Violence Against Boys and Men: Multiple cases of sexual violence against male victims, including gang rape and genital mutilation.
These patterns were documented across the Nova Music Festival, kibbutzim (Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz), Nahal Oz military base, Shura identification camp, and in captivity in Gaza. The report references at least 251 hostages taken, including 92 women and girls.
4. Kinocidal Sexual Violence and The Weaponization Of Digital Media
The Commission introduces “kinocidal sexual violence” as violence deliberately designed to destroy the family as a social and emotional unit by weaponizing familial bonds. Documented examples include family members being coerced into performing sexual acts on one another under threat of death, and sexual violence inflicted in the presence of relatives, including children. This approach was intended to maximize psychological trauma and erode the social fabric of targeted communities. The report also details the weaponization of digital media as a core component of the violence. Perpetrators filmed, livestreamed, and disseminated acts of sexual violence using victims’ own devices, social media accounts, and direct messaging to families. Hamas produced propaganda videos of hostages, and families often received the first notification of a loved one’s fate through graphic footage sent by perpetrators. The public display and viral spread of these materials were intended to amplify terror, inflict ongoing psychological harm, and prolong the trauma for victims, families, and communities.
5. Sexual Violence Against Hostages in Gaza Captivity
The Commission’s findings reveal that SGBV against hostages in Gaza was systematic, organized, and sustained. Documented forms of abuse include rape (including gang rape), sexual torture, forced nudity, sexual humiliation, threats of forced marriage, and sexual violence against both women and men, including minors. Testimonies from returned hostages such as Amit Soussana describe sustained sexual assault and torture, including being hung upside down, beaten, and forced to endure sexual acts in front of others. Seventeen-year-old Agam Goldstein-Almog recounted the psychological toll of captivity and witnessing the abuse of other hostages. Keith Siegel testified to being forced to strip, shave his body, and endure sexual humiliation, while witnessing the torture of his wife and others. Additional accounts include male hostages being sexually assaulted, female hostages waking up without clothing, and minors subjected to sexual violence and humiliation. Medical professionals documented injuries consistent with repeated sexual assault, including genital trauma, burns, and evidence of forced penetration, as well as severe psychological trauma. The Commission concludes that SGBV in captivity was ongoing, not episodic, and affected women, men, and minors alike.
6. Legal Assessment: War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, And Genocide
The Commission classifies the documented acts as war crimes under Article 8(2)(b)(xxii) and Article 8(2)(c) of the Rome Statute (including rape, sexual slavery, torture, and outrages upon personal dignity), crimes against humanity under Article 7(1)(g) and Article 7(1)(k) (rape, sexual slavery, and other inhumane acts), and potentially genocide under Article 2(b) and (c) of the Genocide Convention and Article 6 of the Rome Statute. The report references the Akayesu judgment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which recognized rape and sexual violence as constitutive acts of genocide and crimes against humanity. The Commission recommends the establishment of specialized national or hybrid tribunals with gender-competent standards, the use of universal jurisdiction, joint investigation teams, and accountability mechanisms for digital intermediaries involved in the dissemination of abuse.
7. Corroboration by International Bodies
The Commission’s findings are supported by the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who found “reasonable grounds to believe” that rape and gang rape occurred at multiple sites and reported “clear and convincing information” of ongoing sexual violence against hostages. The UN Commission of Inquiry documented bound, partially naked bodies consistent with the Commission’s forensic evidence. Human Rights Watch independently verified SGBV patterns at the Nova Music Festival and kibbutzim.
Conclusion
The Civil Commission’s “Silenced No More” report provides the most comprehensive, independently verified account to date of systematic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and subsequent captivity. Through rigorous methodology and survivor-centered practices, the Commission establishes that these acts were deliberate, coordinated, and constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and potentially genocide. The findings are reinforced by leading international bodies and underscore the urgent need for international accountability and recognition of the victims’ suffering.