In a damning expose, the Dinah Project; an all-women legal initiative has laid out a comprehensive legal roadmap accusing Hamas of using sexual violence systematically in its October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel. Israeli analysts have argued that such violence was part of a premeditated genocidal strategy aimed at terrorizing and destroying communities. Hamas has vehemently denied any allegations. the report, the first such, aims to encourage international accountability.
What the Dinah Project Found Led by Bar-Ilan University Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari and Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, a former military prosecutor, the Dinah Project gathered testimony from 15 released hostages, along with interviews with survivors, first responders, and therapists. The report details widespread rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, forced nudity, and murder of victims, some of whom were shot in the genitals in multiple locations, such as the Nova music festival, Re'im, Nahal Oz, and Kfar Aza kibbutzim. These crimes, the legal professionals argue, were not isolated incidents but formed part of a tactical, deliberate campaign to degrade and traumatize the victim group, creating a terrifying legacy that extends beyond instant violence.
Context and Historical Background Sexual violence as a weapon of war has appallingly occurred in many conflicts globally, ranging from ISIS against Yazidis to the abductions by Boko Haram. The Dinah Project specifically evokes this context, naming itself after Dinah; Jacob's daughter who was raped in the Bible, symbolizing the way the voices of survivors have been silenced. Earlier reports, including a report of a UN commission (June 2024) and a report from the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (February 2024), had provided "reasonable grounds" for the belief that systematic sexual violence had occurred. The Dinah Project builds upon these reports with forensic evidence and corroborated witness testimony.
Legal Framework and Strategic Intent The Dinah Project recommends prosecuting such crimes under international law as war crimes, crimes against humanity, or even as part of genocide. This kind of systematic sexual violence, it argues, was at the center of a plan to annihilate a protected group. The project urges the United Nations to launch an independent investigation and to recognize such acts as a weapon of war in official documents.
Responses and Implications Hamas has strongly denied the allegations, calling them propaganda and saying that Islamic law forbids such acts. Victims and families supported by Israeli rape crisis centers are nevertheless demanding urgent UN action, stating that they require international acknowledgment and justice. This report can influence International Criminal Court cases and reinforce calls for Hamas to be officially recognized as a perpetrator of sexual violence. It can also guide future international sanctions and legal prosecution systems.