Overview
- A civil commission in Israel released its 'Silenced No More' report, concluding that sexual violence by Hamas on October 7 was systematic based on 10,000 photos, 1,800 hours of video, and 430 interviews.
- The New York Times published an investigation reporting sexualized torture of Palestinian detainees by Israeli guards, citing 14 detailed interviews and accounts that included alleged assaults involving dogs.
- The Israeli government labeled the Times reporting a lie and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a defamation action against the paper, while the Times said it stands by the work.
- Earlier evidence points to accountability gaps inside Israel, including a video from the Sde Teiman detention site tied to a suspected rape, a dropped case against five reservists, and an ongoing probe of the ex–military prosecutor who released the footage.
- Reactions split along political lines, with some feminist scholars and a UN rapporteur questioning Hamas rape findings, another senior UN official citing sufficient grounds for rape and gang rape on October 7, and commentators accusing both sides of using sexual-violence claims to discredit opponents.