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Expert Discusses ‘Moral Obligation’ of Documenting Oct. 7 Sexual Crimes for the Record

Ailin Vilches Arguello

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A woman visits the site of the Nova music festival, where partygoers were killed and kidnapped during the deadly Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, on the third anniversary of the attack, near Reim, southern Israel, Oct. 7, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

As the world this week marked the third anniversary of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the fight to preserve the humanity, dignity, and historical truth of the victims remained as urgent as ever, according to an expert who documented the gruesome sexual violence perpetrated during the onslaught.

Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy — an expert in international law, a recipient of the 2024 Israel Prize, and the founder and chair of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children — reflected on the lasting impact of the atrocities and the ongoing fight for truth, justice, and recognition for the victims in an exclusive interview with The Algemeiner.

“Oct. 7 has not left me for a single day,” Elkayam-Levy said. “For me, Oct. 7 is a day of mourning, but also a day of moral clarity. It reminds us that remembrance cannot be passive. To remember is to act.”

She emphasized that before they became statistics, reports, or legal evidence, the women and children murdered or taken hostage were individuals with lives, voices, families, and futures. For three years, the commission has aimed to carry on the voices of the survivors and those silenced forever. Yet, as Elkayam-Levy noted, the world still struggles to grasp the inner dynamics of this specific form of terror.

“This was not only an attack on individuals,” she explained. “Women and children were targeted in ways meant to destroy families, communities, and the most basic sense of human safety. The violence was physical, psychological, sexual, and symbolic. It was meant to humiliate and to leave wounds that continue long after the immediate attack or captivity ends.”

“And I think the world still does not know how to respond to this,” Elkayam-Levy continued. “We do not yet have effective enough legal, humanitarian, or institutional tools for dealing with these kinds of crimes.”

The publication of the groundbreaking report “Silenced No More” — which documented the systemic weaponization of sexual violence — created a crucial turning point, shifting the conversation from denial toward evidence and responsibility. Followed by the report Kinocide: Uncovering the Weaponization of Families on October 7, 2023, the Commission established an unprecedented legal and historical framework.

According to the commission’s report, 92 women and girls were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 atrocities, including from southern Israeli communities, the Nova Music Festival, and nearby military bases. Of them, 80 were later released, seven were murdered during their abduction, and five were killed in captivity. At least 41 mothers were among those abducted, many enduring the unimaginable trauma of being separated from their children.

Children were among the victims, including 21 girls and 13 boys aged 18 or younger who were later released. Two infant boys, Ariel Bibas, four, and nine-month-old sibling Kfir, were murdered in captivity after being abducted alongside their mother, Shiri. Their deaths remain a heartbreaking reminder of the brutality inflicted on families on that day.

Among these tragic accounts, the report highlighted the harrowing story of a young woman fleeing the Nova music festival grounds who sought shelter in a roadside area, where survivors’ and forensic testimonies detailed how she was subjected to horrific sexual assault and execution alongside her peers.

Another account detailed a mother in a southern border community killed in front of her children after enduring brutal abuse, with the attackers utilizing the family’s digital devices to transmit the atrocity in real time to terrify loved ones.

A third testimony focused on female captives who endured prolonged physical and psychological degradation during weeks underground in Gaza, whose post-release evaluations reveal the lingering, systematic imprint of terror designed to break human dignity.

Three years later, institutions have still failed to respond adequately to such crimes, with widespread hesitation and a persistent reluctance to fully acknowledge the reality and severity of the atrocities.

“The silence in the early weeks after Oct. 7 was devastating,” Elkayam-Levy told The Algemeiner. “Institutions that should have stood immediately with victims of sexual violence often spoke around them. The atrocities were contextualized, relativized, or doubted.”

“That is a moral failure,” she continued. “Sexual violence must never depend on the identity of the victim.”

This pattern of institutional shortcomings has been particularly evident in tensions with the United Nations. Relations sharply deteriorated after Israel severed ties with the UN Secretary-General’s office following the inclusion of Israeli entities on a UN blacklist regarding conflict-related sexual violence. 

Israeli authorities condemned the decision as biased, saying they had submitted extensive documentation and counter-evidence and invited UN officials to visit the sites before the organization proceeded with the listing.

The controversy has fueled criticism of what Israeli officials and advocates see as a double standard in the UN’s treatment of Israel and Hamas. While the UN has listed Hamas among parties credibly suspected of committing rape and other forms of sexual violence, critics argue that the international organization’s initial hesitation and subsequent handling of the allegations have hindered accountability for the Oct. 7 atrocities.

Despite these institutional roadblocks, the commission’s archive stands as a lasting record of the atrocities and a vital resource for the Jewish people, preserving evidence for future criminal proceedings and ensuring the events are not erased from history. According to Elkayam-Levy, it offers a secure place for survivors, families, and witnesses to share their testimonies and preserve their memories, helping lay the groundwork for justice and safeguarding the truth for future generations.

“Our responsibility now is to protect it, bring it to broader audiences, and create the foundations through which Oct. 7 will be remembered by future generations,” she said.

“We are building the memory of tomorrow: ensuring that the evidence, testimonies, and stories preserved today become a foundation for justice, education, reparations, prevention, and a lasting moral legacy,” she continued.

The passage of time has not diminished the need for recognition, accountability, and compassion for those whose lives were forever changed by the attacks.

“Nothing can repair what was taken from them,” Elkayam-Levy said. “But I hope they feel that the world has not forgotten them, that their loved ones are not reduced to numbers, and that their stories are being carried with dignity.”

Looking ahead, she emphasized that even amid such atrocities, acts of compassion and solidarity offer hope, underscoring the power of truth and the importance of choosing to stand up for what is right.

“We cannot prevent future atrocities if we deny or look away,” Elkayam-Levy said. “We must carry this responsibility with courage. It can become a legacy that helps build a different future.”

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