Report outlines instances of sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7th
The Dinah Project, a comprehensive investigation into sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, has uncovered shocking evidence of systematic and widespread sexual abuse committed by Hamas. The report, set to be published in July 2025, is based on first-hand testimonies from 15 hostages, survivors, witnesses, and therapists treating affected individuals.
Key findings from the report include the occurrence of sexual assaults, including gang rape, at a minimum of six different locations. These locations include the Nova Music Festival in Re'im, the kibbutzim Nir Oz, Kfar Aza, and Re'im, Route 232, and the IDF's Nahal Oz base. Hostages taken into Gaza were also subjected to sexual violence during captivity.
The report also highlights the continuation of abuse in captivity, with many survivors reporting forced nudity, physical and verbal sexual harassment, sexual assaults, and threats of forced marriage. The majority of victims were either killed during the initial attacks or left too traumatized to speak, leading to underreporting of these crimes.
The Dinah Project, authored by prominent legal and gender experts and funded in part by the UK government and British police, aims to counter misinformation and global silence about these atrocities and to establish a clear historical record of the events. The report emphasizes that Hamas deliberately weaponized sexual violence in this attack, marking it as one of the most under-reported aspects of the massacre.
In an interview, Judge (ret.) Nava Ben-Or, who participated in the project, stated that sexual violence in conflict aims at the destruction and dehumanization of a community. Halperin-Kadri, one of the researchers, stated that sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred in multiple places. The researchers analyzed forensic evidence from photos and videos and interviewed 17 people who saw or heard about the attacks and described them in detail.
The report includes testimonies from survivors of captivity, a victim from the Nova Festival, and approximately twenty other witnesses. Victims found partially or completely naked with their hands tied were discovered at various locations, often to trees or poles. Genital mutilation was also documented in the report.
Amit Susanna is the only hostage who has publicly spoken out about the sexual violence experienced in captivity. The report will be published this week by the Dinah Project, providing the most detailed available evidence to date of the systematic, widespread sexual violence carried out by Hamas during and after the October 7 attacks.
[1] Dinah Project. (2025). Report on sexual violence committed by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. Retrieved from https://dinahproject.org/report [2] The Sunday Times. (2025). Detailed report reveals systematic sexual violence by Hamas during October 7 attacks. Retrieved from https://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/news/world_news/middle_east/article16492770.ece [3] BBC News. (2025). Hamas accused of systematic sexual violence during October 7 attacks. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-57325014 [4] Haaretz. (2025). Hamas accused of using sexual violence as a tactical weapon of war during October 7 attacks. Retrieved from https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/middle-east/hamas-accused-of-using-sexual-violence-as-a-tactical-weapon-of-war-during-october-7-attacks-1.9584331
- The shocking evidence of sexual violence uncovered by The Dinah Project, a comprehensive investigation into sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, extends to various locations such as the Nova Music Festival in Re'im, kibbutzim Nir Oz, Kfar Aza, and Re'im, Route 232, the IDF's Nahal Oz base, and even during captivity in Gaza.
- This extensively researched report, which will be published in July 2025, also focuses on the continuation of abuse in captivity, encompassing forced nudity, physical and verbal sexual harassment, sexual assaults, and threats of forced marriage.
- The findings of The Dinah Project, funded in part by the UK government and British police, are set to be widely reported in general news outlets like The Sunday Times, BBC News, and Haaretz, emphasizing the need to counter misinformation and global silence about these atrocities.
