ARCCI Report - Sexual Crimes in The October 7
ARCCI Report - Sexual Crimes in The October 7
ARCCI Report - Sexual Crimes in The October 7
Silent Cry
Sexual Crimes in
the October 7 War
Special Report of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel
Production:
Archival Research: Tal Brownstein
Research: Hila Tov
Translation: Elana Lichtenstein Pnini
Copy Editing (Hebrew): Noa Rosen
Design: Lee&Tamar Studio
ARCCI Staff:
Orit Sulitzeanu, CEO
Adv. Maya Oberbaum, Director of Policy and Government Affairs
Dr. Adv. Carmit Klar-Halamish, Head of the research department
Adv. Hila Neubach, Director of legal affairs
Adv. Raghda Awwad, Head of Sexual harrasment prevention in the Arab Society
Tanya Gilboa, Director of Community Relations and Business Development
Hagar Fridenson, Business Development Coordinator
Yael Tal Foa, Director of the Education Headquarters
Ronit Eilati Maman, Director of Communications and Strategy
Noga Berger, Knowledge and Content Manager
Tal Brownstein, Social Manager
Debbie Ben-Ze'ev, Finances and Office Administration
Orit Gutman, Office Manager
Board of Directors: (Rape Crisis Centers Directors) This report was published with the generous
Lotem Yaniv Ben-Yishai, Galil-Golan support of:
Linda Khwaled, Nazareth (Arab community) Women’s Amutot Initiative of the Greater Miami
Tali Eisenberg, Haifa Jewish Federation
Beth Martin-Koren, Hasharon (Ra’anana)
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
Miriam Schler, Tel Aviv
Sharon Keisar, Jerusalem The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
Debbie Gross, Tahel (Religious community)
Keren Eini, Tair (Rehovot)
Yarona Ben-Shalom Richardson, Maslan (South)
Table of Contents
Abstract 4
Opening Remarks 5
Introduction 6
About the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel 7
Methodology 11
On the Process of Collecting Evidence: "But why aren't they speaking?" 13
Findings 14
First Analytical Axis: Arenas 14
The “Nova” Festival 14
Kibbutzim and Villages in the South 15
Israel Defense Force (IDF) Bases 17
Captivity 18
Second Analytical Axis: Mapping Patterns of Sexual Assault 19
The Practice of Rape During War 20
Systematic Use of Brutal Violence to Commit Rape 20
Multiple Abusers/Gang Rape 22
Rape in the Presence of Family/Community Members 23
Sexual Offenses of Males 25
Execution During or After the Rape 26
Sadistic Practices 26
Binding and Tying 26
Mutilation and Destruction of Genital Organs 27
Insertion of Weapons in Intimate Areas 29
Destruction and Mutilation of the Body 30
Summary 31
List of Sources 35
Rape Crisis Centers Hotlines 39
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 4
Abstract
Hamas's attack on October 7 included brutal sexual assaults, carried
out systematically and deliberately towards Israeli civilians. Numerous
testimonies and pieces of disclosed and classified information present
a clear picture of identical patterns of action repeated in each of the
attack zones – the Nova Festival, private homes in the Gaza envelope
kibbutzim, and IDF bases. With the abduction of 254 individuals to the
Gaza Strip areas, sexual assaults continued to occur also in this arena.
Therefore, there is a high likelihood that the kidnapped women and men
in Hamas captivity are still at risk of sexual abuse at any given moment.
revealed at this time, which will likely increase with time. The report
clearly demonstrates that sexual abuse was not an isolated incident
or sporadic cases but rather a clear operational strategy.
Those who choose to remain silent, silence others, or deny the sexual
crimes committed by Hamas will be remembered accordingly.
Opening Remarks
Orit Sulitzeanu
Executive Director — The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel
Introduction
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 06:29 AM, during the festive holiday
of Simchat Torah, Hamas initiated a sudden attack on Israel from the
Gaza Strip. Under heavy rocket fire, thousands of militants infiltrated
into Israeli territory. They entered homes in kibbutzim surrounding
Gaza while family members were asleep in their beds or sheltering in
safe rooms; they raided nature parties taking place in the area; seized
control of IDF bases, and particularly targeted IDF observation posts
with unarmed women soldiers in position. Over 1,200 people were killed
in a single day, the vast majority of whom were civilians, and 254 Israeli
and foreign citizens were abducted to the Gaza Strip, including women,
men, children, babies, and the elderly.
The diverse services provided by the centers and the association are the
result of over three decades of experience, during which time saw the
creation of a professional body of knowledge and expertise regarding
sexual violence in general, its characteristics, and its implications for the
lives of victims and survivors, and society as a whole.
Characteristics
In the literature, several unique parameters defining sexual violence
in war are identified, ones that influence in the short and long-term:1
1 Hagen, K. & Yohani, S. (2010). The nature and psychosocial consequences of war rape for
individuals and communities. International journal of psychological studies, 2(2), 14–25;Kerstiens,
F. (2004). War rape: The aftermath for women. Unpublished master’s thesis, Royal
Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
2 Vlachova, M., & Biason, L. (Eds.). (2005). Women in an insecure world: Violence against women,
facts, figures, and analysis. Geneva, Switzerland: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control
of Armed Forces.
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 10
Implications
Survivors in need of help in their healing journey after the offense
they suffered during wartime often struggle to receive the necessary
treatment or support they require because their environments are
often focused on rebuilding and survival rather than addressing the
needs of those who experienced sexual violence.
Psychological Implications
3 Toole, M. J., & Waldman, R. J.(1997). The public health aspects of complex emergencies and
refugee situations. Annual review of public health, 18(1), 283–312
5 Bernard, V., & Durham, H. (2014). Sexual violence in armed conflict: From breaking the
silence to breaking the cycle. International Review of the Red Cross, 96(894), 427–434
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 12
Physical Implications
Women who have experienced rape during wartime may also suffer
from physical traumas, including vaginal and rectal injuries, tears and
lacerations, throat injuries (as a result of forced oral sex), fractures,
and broken bones.
Methodology
To prepare this report, dozens of pieces of information related to the
commission of sexual and gender crimes were examined. Various
pieces of information were collected from official sources, publications
in local and international press, interviews with “first responders” in
different arenas, as well as information that arrived at the ARCCI from
professionals and confidential calls. Information from social networks
or unverified sources was not included.
Findings
First Analytical Axis: Arenas
Analysis of the data reveals that sexual and gender-based violence
systematically occurred in all arenas where the October 7th massacre
occurred, as well as in captivity. The following are the general outlines
of the occurrences in each of the scenes, as they emerge.
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 14
The music festival “Nova” took place in an open area near Kibbutz
Re’im, produced especially for the Sukkot holiday. It was held between
October 6th and October 7th, hosting about 4,400 attendees.7 At 6:22,
sirens sounded in the festival area, and shortly after, it was decided to
close the festival and disperse the celebrating crowd. Simultaneously,
terrorists infiltrated the area with trucks and paragliders, seizing,
assaulting, murdering, and taking attendees captive.
The crimes that occurred at the Festival area took place in the festival
compound and at several sites in its vicinity, where participants fled
attempting to escape the terrorists and missile fire. Some were captured
in bomb shelters and hiding places where they tried to take refuge.
A day after the massacre, a video was posted on social media showing
a woman in a torn dress, without underwear, injured and with her
face burned. Police investigators estimated that she had been raped.8
The woman who filmed the video (while searching for her friend,
who was later found to have been kidnapped) recounted that a cut
wound appeared on the body's leg, which she estimated was caused
when her underwear was cut off.9
7 Korial, A., Levi, L., & Glickman, A. (November 23, 2019). “Please, I’m begging. They’re killing
me”: Investigation and tales of heroism from the massacre at Re’im. Ynet. www.ynet.co.il/
news/article/yokra13681367 [Hebrew]
8 Gettelmanm, J., Schwartz, A., & Sella, A. (28.12.23). “Screams without words”: How Hamas
weaponized sexual violence on Oct. 7. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/
world/middleeast/oct-7-attacks-hamas-israel-sexual-violence.html
9 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Eden Vasli, 31.1.23
10 Lamb, C. (2.12.23). First Hamas fighters raped her. Then they shot her in the head. The Sunday
Times. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ten-hamas-fighters-were-raping-the-woman-she-
begged-for-death-6ldlmh8sp The Jewish Chronicle; (3.12.23) Hamas gang raped and beheaded
women at rave massacre, fresh testimony reveals. The Jewish Chronicle. www.thejc.com/
news/israel/hamas-gang-raped-and-beheaded-women-at-rave-massacre-fresh-
testimony-reveals-blp0ghdl; Gettelmanm, Schwartz, & Sella, 28.12.23
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 15
One survivor who wandered the area after the massacre described it
as an “apocalypse of bodies, girls without clothes, some missing their
upper, some their lower parts”.11
11 Saban, A.(28.11.23). “More than 1,500 Harrowing Testimonies That the Mind and Soul Struggle
to Digest”: A Stirring Debate in the Committee for the Advancement of Women’s Status.
Israel Hayom. www.israelhayom.co.il/news/local/article/14879357 [Hebrew]
12 Sky News (1.2.24).Israel-Hama war: Some female victims of 7 October ‘had their faces
obliterated’ Israel-Hama war: Some female victims of 7 October ‘had their faces obliterated’ |
World News | Sky News; Gettelmanm, Schwartz & Sella, 28.12.23
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 16
13 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.24; Rose,
E., & Villarraga, H. (17.10.23). Rescue workers recount horrors found in kibbutz attacked by
Hamas. Reuters, www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rescue-workers-recount-horrors-
found-kibbutz-attacked-by-hamas-2023-10-17/; Keller-Lynn, C. (9.11.23). Amid war and
urgent need to ID bodies, evidence of Hamas’s October 7 rapes slips away. The Times of Israel.
www.timesofisrael.com/amid-war-and-urgent-need-to-id-bodies-evidence-of-hamass-
october-7-rapes-slips-away/
14 Tapper. J. (16.11.23). ‘Not just killed, cruelly mutilated’: Witness describes assault of women on Oct.
7. CNN /edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/11/16/sexual-violence-israeli-women-hamas-
attack-tapper-pkg-lead-vpx.cnn
15 Williamson, L. (5.12.23). Israel Gaza: Hamas raped and mutilated women on 7 October, BBC
hears. BBC. www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67629181
16 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.24
17 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Nira Shpak, 10.2.23
18 It is unclear how the young women arrived at the kibbutz – whether they fled and tried to
find refuge there, or whether they were brought in by the terrorists. In a conversation with
him, Mark estimates that it is the second possibility, as according to him, it was impossible
to enter the kibbutz during the attack.
19 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Noam Mark, 5.2.24
20 Dadon, A. (30.12.23). First publication The unpublished eyewitness testimony to the acts of
rape by Hamas terrorists on 7.10. 12 News. www.mako.co.il/news-military/6361323ddea5a810/
Article-c18ee2771bbbc81026.htm [Hebrew]
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 17
Research by The New York Times presents at least 24 bodies with signs
of sexual abuse in Be’eri and Kfar Aza.21 Additional information about
sexual assaults on surviving young women, originally not disclosed, has
reached the rape crisis centers.22
23 Zaitoun. Y. (23.10.17). “Chilling testimony from a female officer who survived an ambush:
“The terrorist wanted me to take off my uniform.” Ynet. www.ynet.co.il/blogs/gazawar11/
article/hy3deuhwp [Hebrew]; McKernan, B. (10.11.23). Israel women’s groups warn of failure to
keep evidence of sexual violence in Hamas attacks. The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/
world/2023/nov/10/israel-womens-groups-warn-of-failure-to-keep-evidence-of-sexual-
violence-in-hamas-attacks
24 A military base where body identification took place for Israel, following the October 7th
massacre
26 Keller-Lynn, 9.11.23
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 18
two soldiers who were shot in their genitals, which was filmed by Hamas
operatives and retrieved by the IDF.27
Captivity
29 The Times of Israel (6.12.23). “At least 10 freed hostages were sexually abused in Hamas
captivity, doctor says.” www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-10-freed-hostages-were-sexually-
abused-by-hamas-in-captivity-doctor-says/
30 Perez. E. (11.12.23). Chen Goldstein-Almog who was released from captivity: three abductees
told us that they were sexually assaulted, Kan Resher Bet, www.kan.org.il/content/kan-
news/defense/650523/ [Hebrew]; Ynet (16.11.24), “When we were left alone, they told us they
were sexually assaulted – and we cried”: Agam, who left Gaza, fears being kidnapped.
www.ynet.co.il/news/article/skum8axta [Hebrew]; Shimoni, R. (11.12.23) They Were Held
Captive by Hamas, but Their Biggest Fear Was Israeli Airstrikes. Haaretz. www.haaretz.com/
israel-news/2023-12-11/ty-article-magazine/.premium/they-were-held-captive-by-hamas-
but-their-biggest-fear-was-israeli-airstrikes/0000018c-554b-db23-ad9f-7ddb3c990000
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 19
Aviva Sigal, who was also kidnapped from her home in Kfar Aza and
released after over 50 days in captivity, also spoke about sexual assaults
on young women, including a case where she saw a young woman
immediately after being assaulted when taken to the bathroom.31
She testified that Hamas militants turned both women and men into
“puppets on a string”.32
31 Aharon, D. (9.1.2024). Rape and Torture in Captivity: The harrowing testimony of the
released captive. Kan, www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/local/681088/ [Hebrew]
32 Pelman, V. (23.1.23). Women released from captivity: “There are girls there who haven’t had
their period for a long time.” Kan, www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/local/690304/ [Hebrew]
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 20
Raz Cohen and Shoham Gueta, survivors from the festival that
hid in another section of Highway 232, recounted seeing terrorists
raping a young naked woman and stabbing her repeatedly. “Literally
butchering her,” according to Gueta.34 In another interview given by
33 Gettelmanm, Schwartz, & Sella, 28.12.23; Breiner, J. (8.11.23). Israeli Police Collect Eyewitness
Testimony of Gang Rape During Hamas Attack. Haaretz www.haaretz.com/israel-
news/2023-11-08/ty-article/israeli-police-collect-eyewitness-testimony-of-gang-rape-
during-hamas-attack/0000018b-b025-d3c1-a39b-bee5ef400000
Cohen, he testified that during the brutal rape, he saw that “the girl
wasn’t moving anymore. But the terrorist continued raping her”.35
Yoni Saadon, a survivor from the festival who witnessed the rape of a
young woman enduring severe violence, recounted hearing the victim
screaming, “‘Stop it – already I’m going to die anyway from what you
are doing, just kill me!’ When they finished they were laughing and the
last one shot her in the head”.36
Gad Liberson, who survived the festival, testified to hearing the abuse
from his hiding place: “I hear shots, gunfire, bursts over our heads, and
I hear girls speaking in English: ‘Help’, ‘No’, ‘Please’. ...The girls were
crying. It sounded like they were being raped. They take them to the
pickup trucks, they cry, they scream. They shoot them. I heard men’s
voices screaming, and when I heard shots they immediately stopped
screaming. I heard the girls for a long time.”37
In addition, the rescuers who retrieved the bodies also described signs
of rape alongside other severe injuries. These accounts were repeated
about incidences in the vicinity of the festivaly39 and in homes in the
kibbutzim.40
35 Kan Zman Emet (14.12.23). “I saw and couldn’t do anything:” testimonies of rape from the
festival. www.kan.org.il/content/kan/kan-11/p-12043/s7/655396 [Hebrew]
38 Saban, 28.11.23
39 Eli, E. (November 14, 2023). “Flying with the pick-up truck from end to end”: The farmer
who rescued 120 young people from the festival in Re’im. 13 News. 13tv.co.il/item/news/
politics/security/hp8ai-903804236/
40 E. Rose & H. Villarraga (17.10.23). Rescue workers recount horrors found in kibbutz attacked
by Hamas. Reuters, www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rescue-workers-recount-
horrors-found-kibbutz-attacked-by-hamas-2023-10-17/
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 22
Raz Cohen and Shoham Gueta, survivors of the festival, reported that
five (Cohen) or four (Gueta) terrorists participated in the rape they
saw.44 According to Yoni Saadon, between eight and ten terrorists
participated in the rape case he witnessed.45
41 Reuters (15.10.23) Israeli forensic teams describe signs of torture, abuse. www.reuters.com/
world/middle-east/israeli-forensic-teams-describe-signs-torture-abuse-2023-10-15
41 Visegrád 24.(24.10.23). An Israeli woman responsible for identifying female victims of the
Hamas massacre confirms that Hamas terrorists raped children and elderly women. twitter.
com/visegrad24/status/1716737563749237030
43 Shimoni, 11.12.23
In some cases, the sexual abuse took place in front of family members
or friends who were forced to watch the sexual abuse under threat to
the victim’s life and their own, without the ability of acting to stop it.
Chaim Otmazgin, of ZAKA and an officer in the search and rescue unit
of the Home Front Command, told of a house where a mother’s body
was found with her hands cuffed behind her back with clear signs of
struggle, while the body of her daughter (a girl or a young woman) was
found in the next room with her pants and underwear rolled down.46
Itzik Itach, a ZAKA volunteer, described a couple – man and woman –
who were found tied to each other, naked, with clear signs of rape on
the woman’s body.47 Nachman Dyksztejna, another volunteer, described
the bodies of two women found tied by their hands and feet to a bed,
one having been sexually abused and found with a knife in her genitals.48
46 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.24
47 Rose & Villarraga, 17.10.23 Williamson, L. (5.12.23). Israel Gaza: Hamas raped and mutilated
women on 7 October, BBC hears. BBC News. www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67629181
48 Williamson, 5.12.23
49 Tapper, 17.11.23
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 24
it seems that her partner was forced to watch the sexual abuse before
their murders.50
At the festival, it seems that the crowd present during the attack was
mainly made up of festival-goers who were murdered (along with
the witnesses who hid and gave testimony about what they saw
and heard). Rami Davidian, a resident of the area who independently
rescued hundreds of people from the festival, told the Association
of Rape Crisis Centers that he found the bodies of “a boyfriend and
girlfriend, they stripped them, (looks like) they were told to hug and
they died hugging. There were beatings on their bodies. They abused
them”.51 Also, festival-goers whose bodies with signs of abuse were
found in Kibbutz Re’im were found together in the same space, in a
way that shows that the abuse was committed together.52
The rape crisis centers received information about similar cases where
witnesses were forced to watch the abuse and survived.
50 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with an IFD offical, 31.10.23
51 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Rami Davidian, 7.2.24
52 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Noam Mark, 5.2.24
53 Saban, A. (8.11.23). “She was raped and executed:” New evidence from the horrors of
October 7 is revealed. Israel Hayom www.israelhayom.co.il/news/defense/article/14801490
[Hebrew]
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 25
body of a man from the festival that was stripped and shackled, and
an attempt was made to burn him.54
A witness who was rescued from the Festival describes how she
saw bodies of men whose genitals had been cut off.55 A paramedic
who described the injuries stated that the injuries were also to the
men and that “There were a lot of gun wounds there. Shooting was
targeted at sexual organs. We saw that a lot. They had a thing with
sexual organs.”56
Nirah Shpak from Kfar Aza testified that she saw the body of a man
who was left naked from the waist down.57
Medical teams that treated the hostages who were released from
captivity reported that men were also sexually assaulted in captivity.58
54 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.23
55 Saban, 28.11.23
57 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Nirah Shpak, 11.2.24
Drawn from the fact that so many of the bodies were found with
signs of sexual abuse, it paints a clear picture that after the assaults,
they were killed.
Sadistic Practices
Binding and Tying
From the descriptions provided by the rescue and aid forces who
arrived at the scenes of the massacre, it emerged that a significant
portion of the bodies showing signs of sexual assault were found
bound and gagged, and sometimes even tied to one another.
The New York Times interviewed four rescuers from the Nova festival
who described the sight of women’s bodies with spread legs, without
underwear, some with hands tied with ropes and zip ties. The bodies
63 Williamson, 5.12.23
64 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.24
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 27
were found at the main area, but also along the road, in the park,
and in open fields – places where the attendees fled in an attempt to
save their lives. Jamal Waraki, a ZAKA volunteer, recounted a body of a
young woman whose “hands were tied behind her back, she was bent
forward, half-naked, her underwear stripped below her knees”.65
Rescuer Rami Davidian said that he saw more than five bodies of
women “tied to trees. Each one three, five meters from the other.
Naked. They were tied with clothes or blankets around the tree with
their hands, or standing leaning tied to the tree”.66
65 Williamson, 5.12.23
66 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Rami Davidian, 7.2.23
68 ibid
Yinon Rivlin, who also survived the Nova festival, described how at
one point he left his hiding place to search for more survivors. Next to
the road, he saw the body of a young woman lying on her stomach,
without pants or underwear, her legs spread. Her genitalia seemed
“as if someone tore her apart”.72
Rami Davidian told ARCCI that the bodies of women tied to trees
also had “mutilation in intimate places that is hard to see... all their
organs were cut, damaged. Blood from the genitals. They inserted
iron rods into their sexual organs... there were shots in the breasts”.73
Bodies of men were found with their genitalia severed, while others
had their genitalia shot and mutilated. according to testimonies from
ZAKA personnel, the intimate organs of men who suffered sexual
assault were mutilated.74 The police presented testimony from a
survivor of the Nova festival, who also described bodies of men with
severed genitalia.75 Also Mendes, who dealt with bodies in “Shura,”
70 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Rami Davidian, 7.2.23
72 ibid
73 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Rami Davidian, 7.2.23
74 Saban, 8.11.23
75 Saban, 28.11.23
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 29
The New York Times reported that they saw a picture of a woman’s
body with dozens of nails embedded in her knees and pelvis. 82
77 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Rami Davidian, 7.2.23
78 Williamson, 5.12.23
79 Maariv (February 1, 2024). “Some of the victims arrived ‘trapped’”: New horrifying testimonies
from Hamas atrocities exposed. www.maariv.co.il/news/world/Article-1072808 [Hebrew]
80 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.24
81 McKernan, 10.11.23
83 ibid
84 A conversation of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers with Chaim Otmazgin, 28.1.24
Summary
From the testimonies and information provided, it emerges that the
sexual assaults committed in the October 7th attack and thereafter
were carried out systematically and deliberately. Sexual assaults
took place (and may still be ongoing) in all areas of the attack, as
described: the Nova Festival, kibbutzim and villages in the south, IDF
bases, and the captivity where children, women, and men kidnapped
on October 7th were held, and some still are.
87 Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against our will: Men, women and rape. New York: Simon and Schuster.
89 Brownmiller, 1975
The Association Of Rape Crisis Centers In Israel 32
From the testimonies of the attacks at the Festival, it appears that the
terrorists sought and captured women who tried to escape; some
hid but were caught. A “hunt” for captured women is also known in
literature, where intruders find a hiding woman and then assault her
in full view.92 Also dragging women by their hair while they scream,
after being captured, as described by various witnesses who survived
the Festival, is a way to sow fear, harm the community, and establish
control over the enemy through psychological and physical means.93
Evidence of the events of October 7th show that children and men
were also assaulted. However, information about this phenomenon
is relatively scarce at this stage and focuses on body mutilation. The
limited exposure of sexual assaults on men, even in comparison to the
limited exposure of sexual assaults in war, is considered characteristic
of the phenomenon. Generally, men suffer from compounded shame
when disclosing sexual assaults, which are perceived as deeply
humiliating and an attack on masculinity. They are reported at much
lower rates. It is reasonable to assume that male survivors in this case
91 Chang, I.(1997). The rape of Nanking: The forgotten holocaust of World War II. New York: Basic
Books.
92 Tompkins, T. (1995). Prosecuting rape as a war crime: Speaking the unspeakable. Notre
Dame Law Review. 70(4), 845–890
93 Schiessl, C. (2002). An element of genocide: rape, total war, and international law in the
twentieth century. Journal of Genocide Research, 4(2), 197-210.
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 33
will have more difficulty seeking help. Rescue forces may have also
refrained from describing such “embarrassing” injuries.
94 Amnesty International. (2004). Violence against women fire in war-torn countries. www.
amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nws210102004en.pdf; Vlachova & Biason, 2005
95 Razavi, E. (13.6.23). KURDISTAN DES GUERRI RES CONTRE LES MOLLAHS. Paris. www.
parismatch.com/actu/international/kurdistan-des-guerrieres-contre-les-mollahs-226175
96 Bop, C. (2001). Women in conflicts, their gains and their losses. In S. Meintjes, A. Pillay, & M.
Turshen (Eds.), The aftermath: Women in post-conflict transformation (pp. 19-33). New
York: Zed Books; Kerstiens, 2004
These days, as the scar in our hearts refuses to heal, and the souls of
our sisters and brothers cry out to us from the ground, many of those
we thought were partners and allies remain silent and therefore deny
the horrors. We urge you to amplify their voices and not allow these
victims to be silenced.
Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 35
List of Sources/Bibliography
Academic Sources
Bernard, V., & Durham, H. (2014). Sexual violence in armed conflict: From
breaking the silence to breaking the cycle. International Review of the Red Cross,
96(894), 427–434
Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against our will: Men, women and rape. New York:
Simon and Schuster.
Chang, I. (1997). The rape of Nanking: The forgotten holocaust of World War II.
New York: Basic Books.
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Silent Cry Sexual Crimes in the 7.10 War 39