“Naked Bodies, Face Burned”: Report Details Sexual Violence In Hamas Attacks

Tel Aviv: 

In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas in southern Israel, a horrifying pattern of sexual violence against women has come to light.

The New York Times conducted a two-month investigation, uncovering distressing details that indicate sexual assault and mutilation at multiple locations targeted by the terrorists.

One of the victims, Gal Abdush, a mother of two from central Israel, disappeared from a rave that turned into a massacre site. A viral video shot by a woman searching for her missing friend showed Gal Abdush lying on the road, partially clothed, with her face burned beyond recognition

Israeli police officials, based on video evidence, believe that Gal Abdush was raped, and her tragic story has become a symbol of the horrors inflicted upon Israeli women during the attacks.

The investigation identified at least seven locations where Israeli women and girls appear to have been sexually assaulted or mutilated. Witnesses, medical personnel, soldiers, and rape counsellors were among the 150 people interviewed by The New York Times, providing a comprehensive picture of the widespread gender-based violence on October 7.

The terror unfolded at the rave, military bases along the Gaza border, and Kibbutzim. Witnesses described graphic scenes of women being raped and killed at different locations along Route 232, the highway where Gal Abdush’s body was found.