(SeaPRwire) –   WARNING: This article includes graphic and disturbing accounts from the October 7 massacre in Israel.

Hamas and its Palestinian collaborators employed sexual and gender-based violence “deliberately and systematically” as an intrinsic element of their broader strategy during the 2023 massacres in southern Israel, according to a report released Tuesday by the Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes Against Women and Children.

The Israeli nonprofit stated that its investigation gathered evidence of abuse at various locations during the Oct. 7 terror incursion, including the Nova Music Festival, kibbutzim situated near the Gaza border, Israel Defense Forces bases, among hostages held in captivity, and in the condition of recovered bodies exhibiting signs consistent with sexual violence.

The report detailed that investigators identified at least 13 recurring forms of abuse, encompassing rape, sexual torture, shootings targeting victims’ genital areas, and abuse inflicted post-mortem.

Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder and chair of the Civil Commission and a principal co-author of the report, informed Digital that the most significant challenge in compiling the findings was the team’s repeated exposure to graphic material and the associated trauma of regularly reviewing it.

“We were compelled not only to gather materials but also to review and analyze them alongside forensic experts while witnessing human suffering at its most extreme,” Elkayam-Levy stated. “Our motivation stemmed from the denial, hesitation, and questioning we encountered. We were determined to ensure the world comprehends what transpired to the victims.

“For us, this represents a final act of justice for the victims,” she added.

The report also documented instances where sexual violence was perpetrated in the presence of or involving family members, including one alleged incident where relatives were coerced into committing acts against one another.

Furthermore, it accused Hamas and allied perpetrators of utilizing videos, digital platforms, and social media as instruments to amplify psychological harm, disseminate fear, and publicize the attacks, including the distribution of sexualized content.

Elkayam-Levy expressed her hope that the findings would extend beyond academic circles, human rights organizations, or activists, and also be examined by counterterrorism and national security experts to foster a deeper understanding and confrontation of such atrocities.

“We cannot prevent what we do not fully comprehend,” Elkayam-Levy asserted. “No single prosecution could ever fully encapsulate the magnitude of these crimes in the way this report does. Consequently, it is crucial for policymakers, decision-makers, members of Congress, and senators to find avenues for formally recognizing these findings and conducting hearings to initiate addressing this issue. We desire the findings of this report to receive formal institutional acknowledgment.”

Elkayam-Levy pointed out that the report highlights that victims of the Oct. 7 atrocities hailed from 52 countries, underscoring the global reach and impact of the attack.

Witness testimonies included in the report featured an account of a woman who was sexually assaulted before being beheaded. Another witness described observing a woman being dragged from a vehicle, pinned against a wall, repeatedly raped, and then stabbed, with the assault allegedly continuing after her death.

In a separate case, a witness recounted discovering the body of a man whose genitals had been severed, lying next to the body of a woman holding them, in what the report characterized as an apparent effort to degrade and humiliate the victims.

Investigators reported that some female victims were found naked or partially unclothed, with evidence of severe mutilation and the insertion of objects such as grenades, nails, and household tools into their bodies. The report also cited gunshot wounds, cuts, and burn injuries concentrated on intimate areas.

The report indicated that some female bodies brought to morgues displayed broken pelvises or legs, bloodied underwear, and additional trauma to the abdomen or groin.

Former hostages, both female and male, have also provided testimony regarding rape, sexual torture, and other forms of abuse during their abduction or captivity, according to the report. It stated that some female captives reported experiencing sexual assaults while receiving medical treatment in Gaza hospitals for injuries sustained during the attacks.

Male hostages similarly described sexual abuse during their captivity, including assaults in showers and incidents carried out under armed threat while victims were naked, the report noted. One former hostage recounted being sexually assaulted when a captor forcibly rubbed his genitals against the victim’s anus.

Last month, former hostage Rom Braslavski shared the abuse he claimed to have endured during captivity in an exclusive interview with Digital.

“They would hit me with whatever they had on hand. I underwent severe torture, bondage, and sexual abuse. Everything they could do to me, they did. My body is still covered in scars. After four months of torture, I was clinically dead, rolling my eyes and passing out. They decided to stop the violence and brought doctors to treat me with injections and gave me food again,” he recounted.

The report asserted that sexual and gender-based violence was “widespread and systematic” and constituted an “integral component” of both the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent treatment of captives, while deeming the prosecution of such crimes an “urgent” priority to be pursued through international accountability mechanisms.

Among its recommendations, the commission advocated for targeted sanctions against individuals and entities accused of perpetrating or materially supporting the Oct. 7 attack and its aftermath. It also urged action against what it described as the denial, minimization, or politicization of the sexual crimes committed during the massacre and in captivity.

“The Commission further recommends that Israel adopt a comprehensive gender strategy within its prosecutorial framework and establish a specialized chamber or panel of judges dedicated to the prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes committed on October 7th and during captivity,” the report stated.

Elkayam-Levy mentioned that the report has garnered significant international attention, including front-page coverage in U.S. and global media outlets. “We feel the discussion has shifted from questioning whether these crimes occurred to examining their consequences,” she commented. “There is now a substantial legal evidentiary foundation preserved in a secure archive that cannot be denied.”