Editor's note: This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual violence.
Even amid the maelstrom of opinion, there's little doubt the war in Gaza has sparked a humanitarian crisis. As well as starvation, death and destruction, a pair of reports, both released this week, shine a light on the scale of alleged sexual abuse on October 7, 2023 and beyond.
A two-year investigation by The Civil Commission in Israel, which describes itself as an independent non-governmental group, says it has examined thousands of photographs and videos and interviewed hundreds of witnesses of the October 7 attacks.
Its authors, led by Cochav Elkayam-Levy, said the report was "guided by internationally recognized methodologies for documenting war crimes and sexual violence." It is also endorsed by a number of significant political, legal and human rights figures, including Hillary Clinton and former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler.
It stated that Hamas "used sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) deliberately and systematically as an inherent part of a wider strategy of the attack, primarily targeting women and hostages, while minors were also subjected to grave forms of such violence and abuse."
