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Edited by: Fern Sidman
A chilling report released on Wednesday and presented by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, has exposed the heinous acts committed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th massacre.
The organization based its report on a thorough analysis of information gathered from testimonies, interviews with emergency medical workers, and an investigation published by The New York Times in late December. The Times’ monthslong investigation documented a pattern of gender-based violence during the Hamas-led attack, supporting the claims made by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.
The New York Times also reported that the documentation detailed the “systematic and widespread” acts of sexual violence as well as providing details on the sadistic nature of the assaults, including violent rapes, threats with weapons, gang rapes, and the mutilation of sexual organs and other body parts with knives.
ARCCI Report – Sexual Crimes in the October 7 #Hamas terrorist attack by Breitbart News on Scribd
Moreover, the report was sent to “decision-makers” in the United Nations to leave “no room for denial or disregard,” a report in the Jerusalem Post said. In response to the serious allegations, a United Nations team visited Israel in late January to investigate the reports of sexual violence, the NYT report said. Led by Pramila Patten, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the team is expected to share preliminary findings, with additional information to be included in the office’s annual report on sexual violence in conflict.
While the subject of sexual violence during the October 7 attack has been contentious, with some critics challenging the findings, the report and The New York Times’ investigation present a substantial body of evidence. The Times reviewed photographs and videos showing signs of sexual assault and mutilation on women’s bodies. Additionally, emergency responders attested to discovering naked or half-naked women and girls who appeared to have been sexually assaulted.
Women’s advocacy groups in Israel have raised concerns about the perceived disparity in the treatment of allegations of sexual violence against Israeli women during the Hamas-led attack on October 7. The report in the NYT indicated that according to these groups, the detailed allegations of brutal attacks faced by Israeli women have been held to different standards than similar claims from women in other regions who have reported victimization.
Frustration in Israel over what clearly a slow and apathetic response by the United Nations and other international organizations has manifested in demonstrations where protesters expressed their discontent, the NYT report noted. Chants such as “Me too, unless you’re a Jew!” underscore the palpable rancor at what is seen as a lack of attention and gravitas in addressing the substantiated report.
The report, compiled by an umbrella organization representing nine rape crisis centers in Israel, presents a grim picture of sexual violence that went beyond isolated incidents, as was noted in the NYT report. It contends that sexual abuse was not sporadic but rather a deliberate operational strategy employed by the Hamas terrorists.
One particularly disturbing aspect highlighted in the report is that many of the assaults took place in front of an audience, including partners, family, or friends, according to the information provided in the NYT report. This appalling tactic aimed to intensify the pain and humiliation experienced by all present, adding a layer of psychological trauma to the victims.
The report in the JPost said that these acts were frequently carried out collectively, with collaboration between multiple terrorists, escalating the brutality of the assaults.
Tragically, most victims of sexual assault by Hamas terrorists were killed afterward, some even during the act of rape, the JPost reported. The report highlights instances where victims’ genitals were mutilated beyond recognition or penetrated with weapons such as nails and knives that were hammered into them, further emphasizing the barbarity of these crimes.
The report acknowledged the difficulty in providing a complete numerical measure of the extent of Hamas’s sexual violence, as most cases resulted in the victims’ deaths, rendering the full extent unknown and possibly unknowable, according to the JPost report.
The sexual assaults were reported to have occurred in four main locations – at the Nova Festival, in kibbutzim, on IDF bases, and in captivity. Each setting witnessed severe sexual assaults, with eye-witnesses and first responders recounting group rapes, brutal assaults on women and girls, and even a cases of a knife being hidden in the genital organ of one victim, the JPost reported. Moreover, IDF soldiers on army bases were victims of sexual violence, and hostages who have returned from Gaza have revealed grotesque sexual violence perpetrated against them and others while in Hamas captivity.
Orit Sulitzeanu, CEO of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, emphasized that silence on these crimes would be remembered as a historical stain on those who chose to ignore the atrocities.
“The terrorist organization Hamas chose to harm Israel strategically in two clear ways – kidnapping citizens and committing sadistic sexual crimes,” said Sulitzeanu, as was indicated in the JPost report. “Silence will be remembered as a historical stain on those who chose to remain silent and deny the sexual crimes committed by Hamas.”
Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, has vehemently denied the allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by its fighters during the October 7th attack. According to the NYT report, the group dismissed the accusations as part of Israel’s strategy to justify civilian casualties and denies any involvement in such heinous acts.
Hamas claims that its fighters adhere to the principles of their religion, values, and culture, which strictly forbid acts of sexual violence. The group asserts that, as Muslims, they are honor-bound to respect and protect all women, as per the information in the NYT report. Hamas also expressed openness to international inquiries into the allegations and welcomed scrutiny to prove their innocence.
Authors of the report, Dr. Carmit Klar-Chalamish and Noga Berger, have exhorted the international community not to remain silent and in complete denial.
As was noted in the JPost report, Klar-Chalamish and Berger wrote: “As the scars in our hearts refuse to heal, and the souls of our sisters and brothers cry out to us from the depths of the earth, a significant portion of those we considered partners responded in silence and denial of these horrors. We call on you to raise your voices and not allow the cries of these victims to fade away.”
The October 7th massacre, marked by Hamas’s sadistic sexual crimes, demands global attention and condemnation. The report serves as a stark reminder of the savage atrocities committed, urging the world to stand united against such acts of violence and ensure justice for the victims.
