Israeli women document Hamas's Oct. 7 sexual crimes in landmark report

Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the principal author of the privately funded Civil Commission's report on the Oct. 7 crimes, experienced a profound sense of relief upon its release on May 12. The report, titled "Silenced No More: Sexual terror unveiled: the untold atrocities of October 7 and against hostages in captivity," has garnered fair and accurate coverage from numerous international news outlets, including the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, CNN, and The New York Times.

Elkayam-Levy bore the heavy responsibility of documenting the heartbreaking and disturbing evidence of extraordinary cruelty. For two and a half years, she worked with survivors and reviewed testimony detailing the sexual crimes perpetrated by Hamas-led terrorists on and after Oct. 7, 2023. Many on her team found the work too distressing to continue.

Danae Marx-Callaf, director of international communications and a co-founder of the Civil Commission, highlighted the report's impact. "Our report shifts the conversation from ‘whether it happened’ to ‘what are the consequences,’" she stated. Marx-Callaf also emphasized the importance of global recognition for the victims, noting that the report will be presented to policymakers worldwide.

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One of the most important takeaways is the before-and-after reality of the report. Our report shifts the conversation from ‘whether it happened’ to ‘what are the consequences.’

The comprehensive 298-page document concludes that the sexual terror inflicted was a central component of Hamas's war strategy. Elkayam-Levy, an expert in international law, human rights, and feminist legal theory, holds a fellowship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was a recipient of the 2024 Israel Prize for her work on the report. Despite her extensive career in teaching and writing about war crimes and gender-based violence, she expressed surprise at the lack of support from some international women's advocates following the Oct. 7 attacks.

Elkayam-Levy had previously presented evidence of these atrocities to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in New York, drawing from phone data, survivor testimonies, and forensic accounts of the victims.

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Another important thing is recognition of the victims. The report will go around the world to different policy makers and not remain just the knowledge of a few in the world.