Exclusive Insights into the Groundbreaking Findings

Over two and a half years since Hamas's devastating October 7 attack on Israel, the Civil Commission on Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children released on Tuesday its landmark 300-page report. This document provides the most exhaustive evidence yet of the terror group's deliberate use of sexual violence, rape, and "kinocide" throughout the assault.

The report highlights numerous instances of gang rape, sexual assaults designed to terrorize entire families, and horrific cases where relatives or victims were coerced into performing sexual acts against one another.

"This report marks a pivotal turning point - a clear divide between before and after its publication. Once out, the debate shifts from whether these acts occurred to what actions must follow," stated Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the commission chair, in an exclusive interview prior to the release.

Elkayam-Levy explained that her multidisciplinary team of lawyers, researchers, medical experts, and forensic specialists labored relentlessly to ensure victims' stories are heard and believed without further silencing.

Entitled Silenced No More, the report establishes a vital historical archive of images and survivor testimonies from the savage offensive. It arrives against a backdrop of persistent denial and minimization by prominent human rights and women's rights figures, who still reject the notion of a coordinated, systematic campaign of sexual terror by Hamas.

"The perpetrators recorded their victims to broadcast the horrors worldwide," Elkayam-Levy observed. She emphasized that footage shared by the terrorists on October 7 itself underpins much of the report's evidence.

"We were compelled to reveal every detail," she added. "This represented sexual terror of unparalleled brutality, amplified by the digital glorification of the crimes."

Elkayam-Levy cited the widely circulated video of 22-year-old Shani Louk, abducted from the Nova Festival. It shows her semi-naked body contorted on a pickup truck's flatbed, surrounded by gunmen who beat and spat on her as she lay deceased.

Despite such stark initial proof, along with powerful accounts from eyewitnesses and first responders, numerous global experts dismissed the occurrence of sexual violence or its role as a terror tactic.

"That denial shattered us," Elkayam-Levy shared. "It went beyond online skeptics to figures like Professor Judith Butler, who questioned, 'I'm not certain; I haven't seen rape evidence.' When has a feminist academic ever demanded proof from a rape survivor in that manner?"

Sexual violence remains the most denied crime

Elkayam-Levy acknowledged that "sexual violence is inherently the most contested offense... but here we encountered an intensified denial from those expected to support victims, compelling us to pioneer a new approach."

The legal expert and human rights advocate noted the commission's rigorous methods to gather and preserve all materials.

"We drew on prior reports for methodological guidance, amassed our evidence, and archived every element meticulously to render future denials impossible," she explained.

"Confronting denial demands first exposing the truth," Elkayam-Levy asserted, highlighting the most shocking discoveries: instances of family members enduring sexual abuse or threats in each other's presence, or being forced into incestuous acts.

In addition to the pervasive sexual violence evident in their analysis, the commission introduced a novel term: kinocide.

Elkayam-Levy defined it as "the methodical torture and violence inflicted on families... combining 'kin' for familial bonds with 'cide' denoting its systematic nature."

"As we reviewed the videos, a pattern emerged," she recounted. "Footage captured terrorists invading homes, sometimes commandeering victims' phones to live-stream the torment... parents wailing in despair, children shrieking or pleading - these scenes revealed a phenomenon demanding definition."

Upon identifying this, Elkayam-Levy consulted legal scholars worldwide and learned no established term existed, despite precedents like ISIS atrocities against Yazidis in Iraq and Syria.

Naming these crimes has empowered victims, including those beyond Israel, to articulate their trauma.

"We're assisting as expert witnesses in Israeli lawsuits, helping families gain recognition as terror victims, given this distinctive targeting of familial units," she noted.

Even with irrefutable proof of systematic sexual violence, rape, and kinocide on October 7, Elkayam-Levy laments ongoing rejections, including from certain UN officials unwilling to acknowledge the horrors.

She views these denials as stoking global antisemitism but remains optimistic that publicizing these acts will bolster rape survivors universally, who in 2026 still face disbelief.

Such skepticism fueled the commission's perseverance amid harrowing testimonies, even from prolonged hostages.

"Persistent academic demands for 'evidence' drove us to amass testimonies under rigorous international protocols, ensuring irrefutability," she said.

"We can't avert unknown threats," Elkayam-Levy concluded. "Preventing future horrors requires grasping the true scope and mechanics of these crimes."

She anticipates the report's archive will gain adoption by global bodies and legislatures, affirming Hamas's October 7 crimes and subsequent hostage abuses in Gaza.

"Our aim is official endorsement of the report and its conclusions," she affirmed. "We're gearing up for that effort now."