Sexual violence occurred during the Hamas-led October 7 attacks; investigators have not established the full number of victims. A UN mission led by Special Representative Pramila Patten found reasonable grounds to believe conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred at multiple locations. The UN mission report, S/2024/217.
What the UN mission documented
The mission visited Israel from January 29 to February 14, 2024. It held 33 meetings with Israeli institutions, visited four locations connected to reported sexual violence, reviewed more than 5,000 images and about 50 hours of footage, and interviewed 34 people, including survivors, witnesses, released hostages, first responders, and service providers. It found reasonable grounds to believe sexual violence occurred at the Nova festival site and surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re’im.
The report described a pattern of mostly women found fully or partly naked, bound, and shot across several locations. It said this circumstantial pattern may indicate sexual violence or sexualized torture. The mission found two widely publicized Be’eri allegations unfounded and found no discernible overall pattern of genital mutilation.
Hostage abuse documented by the UN mission
The mission also found clear and convincing information that hostages experienced rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and had reasonable grounds to believe such abuse might continue against those still captive.
A separate UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Hamas and other armed groups committed sexual and gender-based violence during the attack. UN Commission summary of its findings.
Testimony and documentation
The Civil Commission’s Silenced No More project documents accounts and materials gathered by a civil initiative. Hamas’s denial does not overturn findings reached by investigators who reviewed testimony, images, and video.