Hamas terrorists gang-raped an Israeli woman before one of them shot her in the back of the head while he was still having sex with her, according to witness testimony. Lahav 433, an umbrella organization dedicated to combating crime and dubbed the "Israeli FBI," has been collecting evidence of sexual assaults during the attack that took place on October 7.
The investigations are part of the authorities' attempt to bring charges against those affiliated with Hamas who were captured during the October 7 attack, killing more than 1,400 Israelis. This comes amid reports that scores of Israeli women kidnapped during the attack were raped by Hamas terrorists before being killed.
Raped and Killed Mercilessly
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, investigators have learned from suspect interviews that Hamas planned to cross into central Israel and seize control of a settlement, holding the locals hostage and laying mines nearby.
However, Israeli security forces, reserve units, and civilian groups successfully foiled the plan by resisting the Hamas attackers, the report says.
While collecting evidence, Lahav 433 also received testimony from a woman who claimed to have witnessed the gang-rape and murder of another young woman.
According to Haaretz, the witness recounted the harrowing attack, describing how she saw it unfold while hiding from Hamas gunmen dressed in military uniforms.
"As I am hiding, I see in the corner of my eye that [a terrorist] is raping her," the witness told investigators. "They bent her over and I realized they were raping her and simply passing her on to the next [gunman]."
The witness said that the victim was "alive" and "on her feet and bleeding from her back. But then the situation was that he was pulling her hair. She had long, brown hair."
According to her account given to officers, one of the Hamas gunmen "shot her in the head while he was raping her, without even bothering to lift his pants."
Her testimony has been reported in several Israeli news outlets and is among thousands of pieces of evidence collected by the police.
Another male witness said that he did not witness the rape itself but confirmed that the other witness had informed him about what she had seen at that time.
Unaccounted Rape and Murder
Up until now, reports of sexual violence carried out by Hamas terrorists relied on testimonies from first responders who arrived in settlements on October 7 in the aftermath of the attacks.
Upon arrival, they reported discovering the bodies of naked women with signs of sexual abuse.
Zaka rescue and recovery personnel, the ultra-Orthodox volunteer organization involved in retrieving and identifying bodies, have provided reports of several atrocities, including sexual assaults.
It is understood that Shin Bet (the Israel Security Agency) and the police have detained hundreds of people suspected of being involved in the massacre. According to Israeli emergency regulations, these suspects only need to be presented before a court every 45 days, as authorities work to reconstruct the events of October 7.
The police confiscated the explosives that the suspects carried into Israel.
Haaretz reports that a senior police source said that most of the suspects have admitted their involvement in the atrocities, while a few have denied any part.
Some have claimed they entered Israel seeking employment.
The publication also states that Israel's State Prosecutor's Office plans to prosecute the Hamas terrorists for crimes committed during the massacre, even in the absence of evidence directly linking them to a specific act.
Israel plans to charge the suspects with complicity in the crimes by participating in the assault across the border from Gaza, targeting civilians and soldiers.
Haaretz reports that anyone found in a specific community will face charges related to murder, rape, and abuse in other communities as well.
However, the publication notes that efforts to directly link suspects to specific crimes have proven challenging. Many bodies weren't photographed due to their condition at the time of discovery, compounded by the chaos in the aftermath of the attack.
In addition to gathering testimonies from survivors, the police are reviewing 50,000 video files to identify specific suspects, using facial recognition software for assistance.
It is reported that the police have successfully linked some suspects to specific murders through this process.
