A sweeping independent investigation released today has concluded that sexual and gender-based violence was systematic, widespread, and deliberately integral to the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 — and continued throughout the prolonged captivity of hostages held in Gaza. The nearly 300-page report, titled Silenced No More: Sexual Terror Unveiled — The Untold Atrocities of October 7 and Against Hostages in Captivity, was published by the Civil Commission on the October 7 Crimes Against Women, Children, and Families, an independent Israeli non-profit that has spent more than two years constructing a secure evidentiary archive.

The report was prepared in collaboration with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, led by former Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General Prof. Irwin Cotler, and has received prominent international coverage including front-page features by CNN, Le Monde, the Jerusalem Post, the Daily Mail, and The Times of Israel.

Two Years of Painstaking Documentation

The Civil Commission, led by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy — a legal scholar, human rights expert, and 2024 Israel Prize laureate — began collecting evidence immediately following the October 7 attacks. The resulting “October 7 War Crimes Archive” was built using trauma-informed, survivor-centered methodology adhering to international “do no harm” standards.

Evidence was drawn from residential communities (kibbutzim), the Nova music festival and surrounding areas, roads and shelters, military bases, abduction and transfer routes, and from testimonies covering the conditions of Gaza captivity. The Commission also preserved visual and documentary materials that were subsequently removed or lost from public view.

“This report and archive allow us, perhaps for the first time, to step back and grasp the full scope of the sexual violence committed on October 7 and throughout captivity,” wrote Commission leaders in their accompanying letter to partners and policymakers.

13 Recurring Patterns of Atrocity

A defining contribution of the report is its identification of 13 recurring patterns of sexual and gender-based violence across multiple locations and successive phases of the attacks and captivity — evidence of coordination and deliberate intent rather than isolated brutality.

The report introduces a striking new legal and conceptual framework: “kinocidal” sexual violence — the deliberate weaponization of family bonds, such as assaulting victims in front of relatives or coercing family members to act against one another, aimed at systematically destroying family structures as a tool of war.

Digital Terror: Atrocities as Weapon and Broadcast

One of the report’s most disturbing findings concerns the deliberate and systematic use of digital technology to amplify terror. Perpetrators filmed and livestreamed acts of sexual violence, in many cases disseminating footage through victims’ own phones, email accounts, and social media profiles. Family members thousands of miles away sometimes learned of their loved ones’ fates by receiving these videos directly.

The Commission identifies this digital weaponization as a distinct and deliberate strategy — extending the suffering of victims outward to families, communities, and entire societies, and serving as a further instrument of psychological terrorization even for those not physically present at the attacks.

This method continued into captivity. Staged videos of hostages were broadcast and circulated as part of a campaign to sustain fear and uncertainty among Israeli society and the international community.

Violence Continued in Captivity

The report documents that sexual and gender-based violence did not end on October 7. Testimonies and evidence gathered from released hostages confirm that sexual assaults, humiliation, and torture continued against both women and men during prolonged captivity in Gaza — in some cases lasting months. The Commission emphasizes that these acts were not random breakdowns in discipline but formed a sustained pattern consistent with the same deliberate logic observed during the initial attacks.

Legal Conclusions: War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, Genocidal Acts

The report provides a detailed prosecution roadmap, calling for gender-competent, survivor-centered accountability mechanisms. It holds that responsibility extends not only to direct perpetrators but to planners, enablers, and those who deliberately amplified the violence through digital dissemination. The Commission calls for international legal structures equipped to handle the specific evidentiary and witness-support challenges posed by conflict-related sexual violence of this nature.

The work builds upon — and claims to surpass in scope and rigor — earlier investigations including the New York Times‘ reporting “Screams Without Words,” UN findings of reasonable grounds for SGBV patterns, and prior Israeli governmental inquiries.

A Watershed for Justice — and for the Victims

The Civil Commission states that for many victims, survivors, and families, this report creates a new reality: one in which their pain is formally acknowledged, their experiences can no longer be denied or dismissed, and their voices enter the permanent historical record. “They will be silenced no more,” the Commission declared.

The Commission intends to present findings to parliaments, human rights and counter-terrorism policymakers, international legal experts, and leading global organizations. Endorsements for the report’s rigor and its call for justice have come from prominent figures including Hillary Clinton, Sheryl Sandberg, and international legal authorities.

The full report and a media kit are available on the Civil Commission’s website. Readers who wish to engage with or share these findings are encouraged to access the materials directly:

📄 Full Report: civilc.org/silenced-no-more
📰 Faith & Freedom News: fandfnews.com

Watch: Report Presentation

The Civil Commission presented the findings of Silenced No More in an address available below. The presentation outlines the scope of the investigation, key evidence, and the Commission’s call for international accountability.

Source: YouTube — Civil Commission on the October 7 Crimes