Two years after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Israeli organizations are renewing efforts to document testimonies of sexual violence committed during the massacre, warning that what has been revealed so far represents only a fraction of the full picture.
The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI), the umbrella body for nine centers nationwide, and the “710 Testimony Project,” which records and preserves filmed testimonies from survivors of that day, are calling on witnesses and survivors to come forward.
Yuval Shervit Trebelsi, a survivor of the Nova music festival who lost her husband, Mor Trebelsi, in the attack, recalled seeing “acts of horror — rape, kidnapping.” In her testimony to Ynet last year, she said, “The woman who was raped, sadly, is no longer alive.”
Her account is one of dozens that have helped investigators outline patterns of sexual violence carried out by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7, including verbal and physical sexual harassment, sexual assault, gang rape, and other brutal acts allegedly used deliberately as weapons of war.
The findings were detailed in a series of reports, including the “Dinah Project,” published in July, which compiled witness testimonies and visual documentation from various sources.
Orit Sulitziano, director of ARCCI, said many survivors still struggle to identify or discuss what they experienced.
“In a subject so sensitive and taboo, it can take years before people are ready to speak,” she said. “Decades passed after the Holocaust before people began to talk about sexual violence from that time. We live in a different era, but it still takes time. There is a lot of trauma, and we will be there to help those who want to speak.”
Dr. Carmit Klar-Chalmish, who heads research at ARCCI, said documenting the crimes would take years. “Right now, we know very little,” she said. “It will take time before we know more.”
The 710 Testimony Project began days after the massacre and has since collected about 1,700 filmed testimonies from festivalgoers, residents of attacked communities, and rescue workers. The project plans to build a digital archive that will eventually allow advanced searches through artificial intelligence.
Dr. Renana Keidar of the Hebrew University, who manages content for the project, said the work’s purpose is documentation, not advocacy. “Giving testimony must be a healing act for the witness,” she said. “We never pressure anyone to speak.”
The collaboration with ARCCI aims to reach potential witnesses in a safe and professional way, particularly in cases involving sexual assault. Witnesses can choose whether their testimonies are public or stored privately for research, and they may review and approve edited versions before publication.
Five months after the massacre, ARCCI released a preliminary report stating that the sexual assaults on Oct. 7 were not isolated incidents but part of a clear, organized strategy. The report warned that the full extent of the crimes remains unknown, since disclosures of sexual violence often emerge only after significant time.
The later “Dinah Project” report included testimonies from hostages and first responders — including medics, ZAKA volunteers, and civilians — describing scenes of extreme sexual violence. Their evidence, supported by photos and video, documented roughly 30 cases in which victims were found naked or partially clothed, with gunshot wounds to their genitals and other signs of assault.
One Nova festival survivor, Ron Frager, described hearing women scream from nearby bushes: “They’re raping me, they’re raping me, help me, help me. You’re hiding, completely helpless. We had no weapons. We were just trying to survive.”
Investigators believe several witnesses may have described the same incidents. Overall, the reports cite evidence of at least four cases of gang rape, though the number could be higher.
“These testimonies are crucial,” Keidar said. “Telling the story helps preserve memory, fight denial, and give meaning to what people endured.”