“Sexual violence in conflict is a weapon. It is not random, not targeted only at individuals, and not without intent from above.” These words from Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, co-author of the Dinah Project’s groundbreaking report, echo through a moment in history when silence and denial have been shattered by the courage of survivors and the rigor of legal minds.
On October 7, 2023, the world watched as Hamas and allied groups unleashed terror in southern Israel. What emerged from the aftermath was not only the devastation of lives lost and hostages taken, but a chilling pattern: sexual violence was systematically deployed as a tactical weapon, designed to terrorize and dehumanize Israeli society. The Dinah Project—a coalition of Israeli legal and gender experts—spent 18 months gathering evidence, conducting interviews, and analyzing forensic and digital records to expose the full extent of these crimes.
The report’s foundation is built on first-hand accounts: 15 returned hostages broke their silence, detailing forced nudity, sexual assault, and threats of forced marriage. One survivor of the Nova music festival recounted an attempted rape and sexual assault. Testimonies from witnesses and first responders described victims found partially or fully naked, hands tied to trees or poles, bodies mutilated, and evidence of gang rapes followed by execution (BBC, NBC News). Two male hostages reported forced nudity and physical abuse, underscoring that sexual violence in conflict spares no gender.
The Dinah Project’s legal innovation is as vital as its documentation. Drawing on international precedents, the report provides a legal blueprint for prosecuting sexual violence as a weapon of war—even when direct attribution to individual perpetrators is impossible (Times of Israel). This approach leverages evidentiary frameworks that categorize information by proximity and value, and command-responsibility doctrines that hold leaders accountable for atrocities committed under their watch. The doctrine of collective criminal responsibility—established in landmark cases from Rwanda to the former Yugoslavia—recognizes that sexual violence can be prosecuted as a crime against humanity, war crime, or even genocide (PBS, ICTY).
Forensic best practices are central to this new legal path. The report draws on physical, digital, and testimonial evidence: biological samples, crime scene photos, metadata from digital devices, and the harrowing stories of survivors. International protocols, like the 2014 Protocol, stress the importance of collecting and preserving all forms of evidence—physical, digital, and testimonial—so that justice is possible even when survivors are silenced or evidence is hard to obtain (Tandfonline). As one expert notes, “Physical evidence must be documented, collected and preserved during the initial phase of a sexual violence investigation. Evidence that is overlooked or not collected and secured at the initial phases of the investigation may be lost forever.”
The Dinah Project’s report is not just a call for accountability—it is a lifeline for future prosecutions in any conflict zone where sexual violence is weaponized. It urges the international community to recognize these acts as deliberate strategies of war, to blacklist perpetrators, and to ensure that justice mechanisms are equipped to handle the unique evidentiary challenges posed by mass atrocities.
First Lady Michal Herzog, receiving the report, voiced a sentiment that resonates with advocates worldwide: “We must learn from past experience and the understanding that we, as Israeli women, must shout our voices for those who can no longer shout, and we must bring them justice.” The report stands as both testimony and toolkit, a testament to the resilience of survivors and a roadmap for those determined to end impunity for sexual violence in war.
