A comprehensive report by The Dinah Project has unveiled the systematic use of sexual violence by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. This 80-page document, titled “A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,” highlights how rape, gang-rape, and extreme sexual violence were employed as deliberate weapons of war. The report calls on international human rights organizations to acknowledge these atrocities and urges the United Nations to blacklist Hamas for its actions.

The report is based on extensive open-source evidence and new testimonies, including those from returned hostages, eyewitnesses, and first responders. It reveals that sexual violence was widespread and systematic, occurring in at least six locations, including the Nova music festival and various military bases and kibbutzim. Victims were often found partially or fully naked with their hands tied, subjected to gang rapes followed by execution, genital mutilation, and public humiliation. For those taken hostage, the abuse continued in captivity with reports of forced nudity, sexual harassment, and threats of forced marriage.

Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, director of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at Bar-Ilan University, presented the report to Israel’s first lady Michal Herzog. The report aims to provide a legal framework for prosecuting those responsible for these crimes. Despite initial skepticism from some international groups due to a lack of physical evidence or victim testimonies, investigations by organizations like UN Women have corroborated these accounts.

The Dinah Project’s findings emphasize the need for international justice mechanisms to recognize conflict-related sexual violence as a distinct category. The report advocates for broader admissible evidence and joint criminal responsibility for all participants in the attack. Israeli first lady Michal Herzog emphasized the importance of acknowledging these crimes against humanity and ensuring justice for the victims.