Hamas' attack in Israel on October 7, 2026 included the murder of infants. It was horrific and should be condemned. There were other claims, however, that need to be scrutinized because the dissemination of false narratives serves to halt serious discussion rather than promote it. One claim is that Hamas widely used rape as a weapon of war. As Professor Norman Finkelstein points out, there is not one photograph or video recording of rape despite Hamas militants having worn body cameras by police, CCTV coverage, or street cameras.
In May of 2026, the Israeli Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children published its findings in Silenced No More, Sexual Terror Unveiled, which can be found here: https://cc4e0711-9401-400e-ae14-65ae0400675b.filesusr.com/ugd/aab121_7ac7981aff1043d49c55e5aeb012abe9.pdf.
Dr. Finkelstein argues that in the over 300 pages, there is no forensic evidence of mass sexual assault. You can read Dr. Finkelstein's substack on the topic here: https://normanfinkelstein.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web.
Dr. Finkelstein's book can be found at:
Gaza’s Gravediggers
Here is an interview with Professor Finkelstein:
The risk is that the story of rape as a weapon of war on October 7, like the debunked reports that Hamas severed the heads of 40 babies, fuels support for Israel's denial of Palestinian human rights, including the right to sovereignty and to be free from disproportionate violence in Gaza and the right to be free from violence and displacement in the West Bank. The debunking of the severed heads accusation is summarized here:
Factually
Joy Joshi
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