New York Times investigation details widespread sexual assaults in the October 7 massacre

A lengthy New York Times investigation says Israel’s police believe a woman identified early on only as "the woman in the black dress" was among many women and girls raped or sexually assaulted in the October 7 attacks. The woman, Gal, a mother of two, was trapped in traffic near the Nova festival and sent her family one final WhatsApp message, "You do not understand." She and her husband were killed in the massacre.

The report, based on two months of work, says sexual violence was not an isolated event but a broad pattern on that day. It drew on videos, photos, GPS data and interviews with more than 150 people, including eyewitnesses, medical staff, soldiers and sexual-assault counselors. The paper identified seven separate places where women and girls were raped or assaulted, including the festival area, nearby military bases and kibbutzim around Gaza. Israeli officials said that wherever Hamas militants were present, sexual assaults occurred.

Four eyewitnesses described in detail seeing women raped and killed on Highway 232, where Gal’s body was found. The investigation says 30 bodies of women and girls were found in the massacre area and in two kibbutzim with torn clothing. A military video showed two female soldiers at a base after being shot in their genitals.

Among the witnesses was Sapir, a 24-year-old accountant, who said she hid behind a tree near Highway 232, about six kilometers from the festival, at 8 a.m. on October 7. She said she was shot in the back and saw men in military-style clothing assaulting wounded women, including one woman who was stabbed while being raped. Another witness, Raz Cohen, described a naked young woman being dragged on the ground and raped by five men, one carrying a hammer. A friend, Shoham Guetta, said the attackers laughed and shot while one repeatedly stabbed the woman. A doctor who worked at the Shura identification base said she saw at least 10 bodies of women from southern bases with signs of sexual assault. The welfare ministry later said it had received the first few reports from women who survived sexual violence in the October 7 attack, and said treatment would be long-term. Survivors can seek guidance and treatment through the state hotline 118.