Israel Details Systematic Sexual Violence on Oct. 7 and Sets Up Special Tribunal for Suspects

Overview

• The independent Israeli commission released a 300‑page report that says sexual and gender‑based violence was systematic during the Oct. 7 attacks and in captivity, calling the acts war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.
• The report cites more than 10,000 photos and videos and over 430 interviews with survivors, witnesses, former hostages, experts and families, and it says evidence was archived to support future cases.
• The Knesset approved a law creating a special military court in Jerusalem with three‑judge panels, public naming of defendants and charges, looser evidentiary rules and the option of death sentences for genocide convictions.
• Israeli officials say 250 to 400 members of Hamas’s Nukhba unit have been held without formal charges, and authorities describe a large trove of digital files, phone data and security footage gathered for prosecutions.
• Hamas denies the sexual‑violence allegations, while rights groups warn the new court weakens defense rights by barring public defenders and relaxing proof standards, raising concerns over coerced confessions and fair‑trial safeguards.