In a deeply disturbing revelation, the BBC has obtained evidence pointing to rape, sexual violence, and mutilation of women during the Hamas attacks on October 7th. The atrocities were reportedly committed during the assault on the Nova music festival, with victims ranging from children and teenagers to pensioners.

Those involved in collecting and identifying the bodies from the attack have reported signs of sexual assault, including broken pelvises, bruises, cuts, and tears. Some victims were even subjected to mutilation, as detailed in a video testimony from an eyewitness at the Nova festival, shown to journalists by Israeli police.

The witness, identified as Witness S, recounted the horrifying gang rape, mutilation, and execution of a victim. The video depicts the attackers passing the victim among themselves, inflicting unimaginable violence. The witness emphasizes that the victim was alive during the assault, with graphic details of body parts being cut off and played with.

Israeli police have shown additional videos of naked and bloodied women filmed by Hamas during the attack. Disturbing photographs taken at the attack sites suggest that women were specifically targeted for sexual violence.

Police report multiple eyewitness accounts of sexual assault, and Israel's Women's Empowerment Minister, May Golan, revealed that some survivors are currently receiving psychiatric treatment. However, the majority of victims were brutally murdered, making it challenging for them to share their harrowing experiences.

The evidence indicates a level of brutality that has shocked investigators and experts. Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, a legal expert, commented, "It really feels like Hamas learned how to weaponize women's bodies from ISIS in Iraq, from cases in Bosnia."

The revelations have taken a toll on survivors, with Minister May Golan stating that some are hospitalized for severe psychiatric issues due to the witnessed rapes. Israel's police chief, Yaacov Shabtai, highlighted the difficulty survivors face in speaking about their experiences, with some finding it nearly impossible to testify.

The evidence has primarily come from volunteer body-collectors and those handling the bodies at the Shura army base for identification. In the chaos immediately following the attacks, opportunities for thorough crime scene investigations and forensic evidence collection were limited.

A civil commission, headed by Dr. Elkayam-Levy, is now calling for international recognition that the events on October 7th constituted systematic abuse and Crimes Against Humanity. Police chief Shabtai characterized the attacks as a "premeditative, systematic event," echoing the call for global acknowledgment of the severity of the crimes committed.