A team of UN experts has concluded there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed rape and “sexualised torture” during its attack on southern Israel on 7 October. The mission, led by Pramila Patten, the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, also found “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing” against hostages still held in Gaza.
The report, based on interviews with survivors, witnesses, released hostages and first responders, as well as a review of 5,000 images and 50 hours of footage, identified sexual violence in multiple locations, including the Nova music festival site. It found “clear and convincing information” that rape, gang-rape and sexualised torture were committed against hostages, and that in most incidents victims were killed after being raped, with at least two cases involving the rape of corpses.
The team also noted a pattern of victims, mostly women, found “fully or partially naked, bound, and shot” across several locations, which may indicate sexualised torture. However, it dismissed two widely reported allegations: one involving a pregnant woman and her foetus, and another about a girl found separated from her family, citing new information or altered crime scenes.
Ms Patten called on Israel to grant access to UN human rights bodies for full investigations, and urged Hamas to release all hostages unconditionally. The report, which is not a full UN investigation due to Israeli objections, aims to inform the UN secretary general’s annual report on sexual violence in conflict.
