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When Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on October 7, they tortured and killed civilians – and raped many women. Hamas subsequently rejected the accusation of sexual assault.
A two-month investigation by the New York Times now concludes: the terrorists’ sexual violence was systematic – and worse than previously known. The newspaper spoke to more than 150 people and interviewed witnesses who had to witness the atrocities with their own eyes.
One of the first videos shared online after the attack shows a half-naked woman in a black dress with no underwear, her legs spread and her face burned beyond recognition. Israeli police officials believe she was raped before her death.
Seven places with systematic abuse
Several Israeli soldiers and volunteer medics subsequently reported finding more than thirty bodies of women and girls in similar conditions: legs spread, underwear torn, signs of abuse in the genital area.
According to the New York Times, rape or sexual abuse occurred in seven locations on October 7. Moreover, the terrorists were not content with sexually abusing their victims, but mutilated the women. The newspaper has photos of the corpse of a woman from a kibbutz with nails in her thighs and groin.
The researchers of the Lahav 433 unit collect reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas and try to gain an overview. However, the full extent will never be measured. After October 7, serious decisions were made that made research impossible.
No autopsies ordered
On the day of the massacre, police did not collect semen samples from the women’s bodies and did not order autopsies. Many bodies were buried as quickly as possible for religious reasons, making it no longer possible to understand what happened before their death.
The unit must therefore rely on images, videos and the few testimonies from survivors. And what they describe is almost unbearable. Sapir, a 24-year-old accountant, is one of them. She tells the New York Times how she watched from her hiding place at the rave as groups of heavily armed men raped and murdered at least five women.
One victim was passed on by the men. Her pants were pulled down. A man stood behind her, raped her and every time she backed away, he stabbed her in the back with a knife. Another woman had her breast cut off with a box cutter during her rape by another man.
“They just slaughtered them.”
She saw three more rapes and then saw the terrorists carrying three severed heads. Sapir says: “I was emotionally distant. I looked at it all as if I were photographing it with my eyes and didn’t forget a single detail. I told myself: I have to remember everything.”
Other witness statements are similar. Many report gruesome mutilations of women’s genitals. Israeli soldiers report that two female soldiers were deliberately shot in the vagina by the terrorists.
Victims cannot yet talk to investigators
Raz Cohen, who was able to hide from the terrorists in a stream bed during the rave, tells the newspaper that he saw five men rape a young woman. “Then one of them raised a knife. And they just slaughtered them.”
At least three women and one man survived the ordeal. A woman who was gang-raped at the Supernova rave is currently being treated by two therapists. She cannot yet talk to investigators about what she experienced.
Mirit Ben Mayor, police chief, told The New York Times that she believes cruelty against women is a combination of two brutal forces. “The hatred of Jews and the hatred of women.” (neo)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
