An independent Israeli investigation has released detailed findings alleging that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups carried out a widespread campaign of sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and during the hostage crisis that followed.

The report, which runs to around 300 pages, describes allegations of rape, sexual torture and humiliation being used deliberately to cause extreme psychological harm to victims, their families and communities. Investigators said the violence was not isolated, but part of a broader pattern during the attacks and captivity period.

The findings are considered among the most extensive investigations so far into allegations of sexual violence linked to the October 7 assault, during which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

What does the report claim?

According to the investigation, sexual violence was allegedly used ‘systematically’ during the attacks. Investigators said women were assaulted both before and after death, based on witness testimonies and evidence gathered during the inquiry.

The report contains allegations of rape, mutilation and public humiliation. Some witnesses claimed victims were executed during or after sexual assaults, while other accounts alleged that bodies were publicly displayed as “trophies”.

Investigators also alleged that some attacks specifically targeted families in ways intended to create long-term emotional trauma.

The inquiry reportedly relied on more than 430 interviews conducted with survivors, eyewitnesses and former hostages.

Investigators also examined over 10,000 photographs and videos collected from attack locations, including footage allegedly recorded by the attackers themselves.

According to findings cited by the BBC, the investigation combined testimony, visual evidence and forensic material to document patterns of alleged abuse during the attacks and in captivity.

What is meant by “kinocidal sexual violence”?

One of the terms used in the report is “kinocidal sexual violence”, which investigators used to describe alleged crimes targeting family relationships and emotional bonds.

The report claimed that in some cases, relatives held captive together were allegedly forced into sexual acts involving one another. Some hostages were also reportedly threatened with forced marriage to captors.

“These acts weaponise the deepest human bonds to maximise pain and psychological devastation,” the report stated.

Investigators said such acts could create long-term and even “multigenerational trauma” for survivors and families.

One section of the report described allegations involving two young relatives who were allegedly coerced into sexual acts while in captivity. Investigators described it as part of a larger pattern aimed at exploiting family relationships as a method of terror.

Accounts from Nova music festival survivors

The report also includes testimonies from survivors of the Nova music festival attack, where more than 370 people were killed.

Survivor Raz Cohen alleged that he witnessed a woman being assaulted, stabbed and abused even after death.

Another survivor, Darin Komarov, described hearing screams during nearby assaults before what he described as sudden silence.

Allegations linked to hostage captivity in Gaza

The investigation further alleges that sexual violence continued during captivity inside Gaza Strip.

According to the report, hostages held in tunnels and safe houses for months were subjected to ongoing abuse and threats.

Former hostage Agam Goldstein reportedly spoke about the psychological effects of losing control over her own body during captivity.

What conclusions did investigators reach?

The commission behind the investigation concluded that the acts described in the report could amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide under international law.

The report argues that the alleged abuses were designed not only to harm individuals physically, but also to create fear, humiliation and lasting trauma across entire communities.

With agency inputs