Hamas Attackers Laughed As They Raped And Killed During October 7 Rampage: Israeli Survivor

“This article contains graphic description of murder and sexual violence. Reader discretion advised”

Raz Cohen, a survivor of the deadly October 7 attack on Israel, has come forward with the horrifying account of an Israeli woman’s rape he witnessed at the ill-fated desert music festival ravaged by the Palestinian outfit Hamas.

Cohen had gone to the Nova music festival in the desert of southern Israel to be with his girlfriend Maya. Maya was killed while she tried to flee with another friend. Cohen told CNN that he saw another young woman shot in the head as he ran to hide in a bush, the same spot where he witnessed the rape.

While speaking with CNN, Cohen, 24, recalled how a white van pulled up close to his hiding spot, and five men, who got out of the van, caught a girl and started to pull her clothes off. “After they pulled the clothes off, one of them started to rape her. It was something like 40 seconds. After he raped her, he take a knife and kill her, murder her. After he did it, he continued to rape the dead body.” Cohen said the men were laughing the whole time. “I think it was for fun. They murdered a lot of people for fun.”

Several agencies and US broadcasters have not been able to verify Cohen’s account independently. Hamas has also denied accusations of sexual violence. But the Israeli government has documented cases of rape and sexual violence committed during the attack on the music festival and kibbutz communities near the Gaza border. As many as 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage in the attacks. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has claimed over 22,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

In a report titled “Screams Without Words”, the New York Times (NYT) last month released the findings of an investigation, uncovering details that indicate sexual assault and mutilation at multiple locations targeted by Hamas. The two-month probe identified at least seven locations where Israeli women and girls appear to have been sexually assaulted or mutilated. Medical personnel, soldiers, rape counsellors, and Raz Cohen himself were among the 150 people interviewed by NYT, providing a widespread view of gender-based violence on October 7.

The United Nations, women’s groups and rights groups are meanwhile facing criticism for not quickly condemning rape and sexual violence against Israelis during the Oct 7 attack. Most critics cite rising antisemitism as the reason some experts and advocates did not quickly rally behind Israel’s repeated claims that Hamas fighters committed sexual violence. In a statement released in December, the UN agency UN Women condemned the attacks and said it was “alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks.”

“In all conflicts, UN women fully supports rigorous investigations and Commissions of Inquiry where they exist. We are actively supporting the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which began its investigation into sexual violence very shortly after the attacks occurred. We welcome that the Commission has opened its call for submissions on gender-based crimes since 7 October,” the UN agency said after backlash.