#Tel Aviv
An independent Israeli inquiry has accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups of carrying out widespread sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and during the subsequent hostage crisis.
The 300-page report claims acts including rape, sexual abuse, torture and humiliation were used deliberately during the assault to inflict psychological and physical trauma on victims, families and communities.
According to the BBC, investigators compiled the findings using more than 430 interviews with survivors, witnesses and former hostages, along with over 10,000 photographs and videos collected from attack sites, including footage allegedly recorded by the attackers.
The report is among the most detailed investigations so far into allegations of sexual violence linked to the October 7 attacks, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
Witness testimonies cited in the report describe incidents of sexual assault, mutilation and public humiliation. Some accounts allege victims were killed during or after the assaults, while bodies were allegedly displayed publicly.
The inquiry further alleges that some hostages were forced into degrading acts during captivity. Hamas has previously denied allegations of sexual violence during the attacks. Agencies