Sexual violence as a weapon of war during October 7 massacre

[Twiglets1]

A new report providing the first legal framework for prosecuting Hamas terrorists for the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war during the October 7, 2023, massacre is being presented by the Dinah Project to First Lady Michal Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

The report confirms that Hamas systematically used rape and sexual violence as tools of war during the October 7 massacres and is the first to present a legal roadmap for identifying and pursuing justice for the use of sexual violence as a weapon of warfare, which constitutes a crime against humanity.

The gathering of primarily women notably includes former hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, who has publicly spoken about being sexually assaulted by her captors in Gaza.

“This report tells the truth as it is — shocking, painful, but necessary. On behalf of all those who were harmed, we are committed to continuing the fight until their cries are heard everywhere and justice is done,” says First Lady Michal Herzog.

“We carry here a universal message: that sexual violence cannot be accepted as a tool of war,” she says, drawing attention to the plight of the remaining 50 hostages, including Inbar Hayman, the single female captive who is believed to be dead.

www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-provides-legal-framework-to-prosecute-sexual-violence-during-oct-7-hamas-massacre/

That's awful, sexual violence is NEVER justified. It's quite sickening to read and I hope the perpetrators are prosecuted to the full extent.

I think anyone who watched the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 710 would not be surprised by this.
I’m more shocked at the amount of people who think that retaliation from Israel was not justified.

There is never any excuse for sexual violence either for Palestinians on Israelis OR Israelis on Palestinians.

Justified yes. Proportionate, absolutely not.

I will admit I have not watched the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 7/10.

What I’ve read about it has been unimaginably awful.

I ought to watch the footage available but just can’t bring myself to. I’m glad there are people braver than me shining a light on this.

I agree. I really hope nobody denies the veracity of this report as they have the UNs report on sexual violence against Palestinians, it's been sickening to read to denials on here.

I hope the victims get heard and some day get justice.

A lot of the Hamas leadership are dead so there is justice of sorts.

It's a horror that will stain humanity though. I watched some the 7/7 memorials in the UK and I guess Israel will have these events every October 7th.

We hope Israel has the security it needs to prevent terrorists ever again gang raping women before murdering them.

In this current situation it would be more beneficial for people to unite against freeing Gaza from Hamas.
Hamas are guilty of instigating this violence and continual rejection of all hostages being released.
While idiots in the west continue to spout ‘death to IDF’ rather than ‘fuck Hamas’ then divisions will continue.
Islamic extremism is a real threat to the UK.
Antisemitism is through the roof.
Neither of those things are acceptable.

Hamas has denied its forces committed sexual violence against women or mistreated female hostages.

However, a UN mission concluded in March 2024 that there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the 7 October attack in multiple locations, including rape and gang rape, and that there was "convincing information" that hostages had been subjected to sexual violence, including rape and sexualised torture.

And before they were assassinated by Israel, three top Hamas leaders were also accused by the International Criminal Court's prosecutor of the crimes against humanity of rape and other forms of sexual violence, in addition to murder, extermination and torture.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1mz8gxzg82o

According to the Dinah report, one of the 15 former hostages said she was forced to perform a sexual act, which was preceded by sexual abuse and verbal and physical sexual harassment. She also said she endured forced nudity - an experience which was reported by six other hostages as well.

Almost all of the hostages reported verbal and some physical harassment, including "unwanted physical contact in private parts", the report says, while six said they also faced threats of forced marriage.

Two men among the hostages said they were subjected to forced nudity and physical abuse when naked, with one also recounting the shaving of all his body hair, according to the report.

The Dinah Project says the accounts from people who saw or heard incidents of sexual violence showed that such crimes were "widespread and systematic" on 7 October.

According to the report, five witnesses reported at least four separate cases of gang rape; seven reported at least eight other separate cases of rape or severe sexual assaults, some of them in captivity; five reported at least three separate cases of sexual assaults, some in captivity; and three reported three separate cases of mutilation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1mz8gxzg82o

@Twiglets1 I hate to think of the sheer terror those people went through.
Israel land was built up from a genocide like no other.
The land they happily accepted. Yet they still have Hamas wanting to wipe them off the face of the earth? Hamas appear to be quite okay with wiping out the 2m Arabs that live in Israel too 🤷‍♀️

I know ... I despise Hamas and think they have got off lightly for their crimes (in the West) because too many people have been focussing solely on criticising the Israel government and the IDF while keeping quiet about Hamas.

You think thousands of babies and children being murdered is justified??

It’s the Jewish who always suffer the greatest for not actually doing or saying anything wrong.

Antisemitism should not be a thing in the UK. The Jewish community has done nothing to warrant hatred. I’ve yet to experience anyone on an antisemitism protest spouting ‘death’ to anyone or any group.

You think Hamas raping and murdering Israeli citizens was justified?
You think the Israeli people wouldn’t be a lil twitchy about the contents of the Hamas charter?
After 7/10 what would you have wanted Israel to do?

No I don't, but let's not pretend this started on October 7. It started in 1948, when the Nakba wasn't justified either.

I notice you’ve said ‘ Israelis’ so are you referencing Israel or the uk?

Oh yes, let’s all fuck off back to 1948 when the Arabs refused to take what was offered but Israel did.
Then the Arabs decided to kill Jews as a protest 🙄

So you basically admit that you can find no evidence of hatred when it comes to antisemitism marches in the uk?
Off you trot, you could try Flouncers Corner 🤷‍♀️

Absolutely anything to deflect from Palestinian leaders absolutely failing the Palestinian people for decades by preferring to pick repeated fights in the region and not just with Israel either!

Even PA President Abbas admitted Arab leaders were wrong to reject the 1947 UN Partition Plan.

Reject then fight ad nauseum is a terrible plan as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman pointed out as they have no real power in the region and should have accepted a deal. Rejection is a tactical response to a situation they don't have a strategic ability to achieve.

You don't get better deals long after rejecting the best deal there ever was on the table (1947 UN Partition Plan) as all subsequent deals can never be as good.

They've gone too far now. They were given a state in 2005 and the Israelis left Gaza. The people elected Hamas in 2006 and now here we are.

I misread your comment about the marches and apologise, I can't edit my reply so have asked for it to be removed.

Stand by my other comments though and won't be engaging further, just want to hold my hands up on that one.

Free Palestine ✊

No you don’t need to do that. Everyone misreads sometimes, it’s human nature.
I agree with free Palestine. I just feel that free Gaza from Hamas would gather more unity.

What constitutes 'proportionate' to you? An eye for an eye, nothing more, nothing less? Should they have captured and raped the exact same number of young Gazan women? Sexually mutilated the same number of Gazan women? Murdered the same number of Gazan babies with their bare hands? Picked a neighbourhood and gone house to house looking for the exact same number of Gazan families to burn alive in their homes? Rounded up the exact same number of young Gazan people as there were Israelis shot at the Nova festival, release them into a field or the woods, tell them to run, then chase them down and shoot them? I mean, let's be clear, ALL of that would have been in exactly the correct proportion, wouldn't it?