Civil Commission Releases Final Report on Sexual Violence in Hamas October 7 Attacks

An independent commission released its final report Tuesday documenting the systematic use of sexual and gender-based violence by Hamas and its collaborators during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and in the subsequent treatment of hostages. The Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children interviewed living victims, witnesses and reviewed video evidence created by the attackers themselves.

Its findings describe deliberate patterns of rape, gang rape, sexual torture, mutilation, shootings to the genital area, forced nudity, and postmortem abuse carried out across multiple sites including homes, the Nova music festival grounds, roadsides and military bases.

The commission concluded that sexual and gender-based violence formed an inherent part of a wider strategy, primarily targeting women while minors and men were also subjected to grave forms of abuse. Evidence showed recurring patterns including killings and executions committed alongside or following sexual assaults, public parading of women and children, and abduction of mothers with their children.

The report identifies what it terms "kinocide," in which Hamas terrorists forced family members to watch sexual assaults and murders or, in some documented cases, coerced relatives into performing sexual acts on one another. This weaponization of familial bonds was intended to maximize psychological suffering and terrorize communities.

Video evidence played a central role in the commission's findings. Hamas militants recorded many of the assaults, including scenes at the Nahal Oz military base showing handcuffed, bloodied female soldiers surrounded by militants. Some footage depicted women shot in the genitalia while alive.

Perpetrators circulated these images and videos on social media and sent them directly to victims' families to amplify harm. The commission documented 13 distinct patterns of abuse. These included sexual torture involving burning and mutilation, deliberate shootings to the face and genital area, binding and restraint of victims, and the filming and digital dissemination of atrocities for glorification.

Extreme forms of such violence continued against hostages in captivity for prolonged periods.

The report states that militants filmed themselves assaulting, humiliating and abducting women and children, often presenting female bodies as trophies of war. Some videos showed Gazan civilians celebrating over abused bodies. This digital documentation continued during hostage captivity, with staged videos showing hostages being tormented, taunted or humiliated on camera.

The commission found that recirculation of such material has undermined survivors' rehabilitation and caused ongoing trauma to families long after the initial events. The nearly 300-page report includes an executive summary that summarizes extensive data gathered from first responders, morgue staff who handled bodies of female soldiers, survivor testimonies and the Hamas-recorded archive.

It describes the violence as leaving a distinct and lasting imprint on society. The commission presented its findings as more extensive and better documented than a previous United Nations effort. Its short presentation accompanying the release is addressed to readers, media outlets and government officials.

Its release on May 12, 2026 coincided with separate New York Times coverage of allegations against Israeli forces that drew criticism from some observers for relying on anonymous sources and pro-Hamas activists. The commission's work cited a December 2023 New York Times investigation into Hamas sexual atrocities more than three dozen times, primarily in footnotes referencing video and testimonial evidence.

Multiple outlets noted the timing of the commission report alongside the newspaper's recent publication on alleged Israeli use of dogs in interrogations. The full document runs nearly 300 pages and details how many victims were found handcuffed or bound, with clothing torn and bodies bearing signs of extreme violence both before and after death.

Testimonies described bodies shot in genital areas, faces intentionally disfigured and other forms of mutilation. The commission emphasized that survivors and witnesses continue to suffer severe and enduring physical and psychological injuries. Its findings describe the deliberate strategy as producing a form of terror that extends far beyond immediate victims.