A 250-page report released Tuesday says sexual and gender-based violence was systematic during the Oct. 7 massacre and throughout hostage captivity in Gaza, drawing on more than 10,000 documented items.
The Civil Commission said the archive combines forensic findings, videos, survivor and rescue testimony, and about 400 independently collected accounts to show 13 recurring abuse patterns across massacre sites, kidnappings and captivity.
Those patterns include rape, gang rape, forced stripping, threats of rape and forced marriage, assaults before or during killings, and abuse of male hostages, which the report says were filmed and spread online to deepen terror and humiliation.
Researchers said many victims were killed or their bodies destroyed, making documentation difficult, but argued the secure archive was built to preserve evidence for future legal cases and prevent material from disappearing.
The commission said it is seeking recognition from parliaments and international institutions that the crimes occurred, framing the report as a foundation for war-crimes investigations and further testimony still to emerge.
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Unveiling Systematic Sexual Violence: Key Findings from the 2026 "Silenced No More" Report on Hamas’ October 7 Attacks
Overview
The Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children released the *Silenced No More* report on May 12, 2026, providing a comprehensive investigation into the systematic sexual and gender-based violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent captivity. The Commission documented and preserved evidence, presenting clear and convincing proof of widespread patterns of abuse. The investigation found that sexual violence was a central part of the attacks, affecting both women and men, and included acts such as sexual torture, killings after sexual violence, forced nudity, restraint, and threats of forced marriage.