Israel is preparing to submit a harrowing report to the United Nations this week, detailing the brutal torture endured by hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attacks in Gaza. The comprehensive document, compiled from medical evidence and firsthand testimonies, unveils appalling acts of violence, sexual assault, and psychological abuse inflicted upon men, women, and children. This report will be presented to Alice Edwards, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
The report emerges after a year-long investigation into the conditions faced by hostages who were either released or rescued. Medical teams have treated these survivors, uncovering a disturbing pattern of abuse. Some of the most shocking findings include deliberate branding of children, sexual violence, and extreme physical maltreatment.
One excerpt from the report reads:
“Women, men, and children who returned from captivity reported severe physical and sexual abuse, including beatings, isolation, deprivation of food and water, branding, hair-pulling, and sexual assault. Additionally, some reported being forced to undress or endure other forms of humiliation.”
Survivors also described being denied medical care for acute injuries sustained during their initial capture. Fractures, shrapnel wounds, and burns were left untreated or addressed inadequately, often worsening due to neglect. These untreated injuries required extensive surgeries upon their return to Israel—procedures that could have been avoided with proper medical care. In some cases, captors reportedly performed excruciating procedures without anesthesia, further exacerbating the hostages’ trauma.
The report contains accounts of children being subjected to unimaginable cruelty. Two young hostages, held together during captivity, described being bound and beaten continuously. Medical examinations confirmed scars and marks consistent with prolonged trauma. Additionally, two children were found with burn marks on their lower limbs. One of these children recounted being deliberately branded with a heated object, an event corroborated by other hostages as a deliberate act of torture. The psychological and physical scars from these incidents remain profound.
Roughly half of the surviving hostages endured deliberate starvation. They were subjected to inadequate and nutritionally deficient diets, leading to severe hunger and deteriorating health over time. Many were isolated in solitary confinement, deprived of basic sanitation, and exposed to extreme psychological abuse. Captors reportedly employed brainwashing tactics, using propaganda to break the hostages’ spirits and force submission.
The report also highlights:
- Lack of sleep
- Rampant violence and threats
- Medical neglect
- Sexual exploitation
A particularly distressing revelation from the Hebrew version of the report detailed evidence of two teenage hostages being forced to perform sexual acts on one another under duress. Such instances underscore the systematic and calculated nature of the abuse.
President Isaac Herzog has called on the international community to take immediate action. “The UN has the facts. It is morally obliged to do everything in its power to bring the hostages home now,” Herzog stated in response to the report.
Currently, there are an estimated 100 hostages still held in Gaza, including seven Americans. Intelligence suggests that up to two-thirds of them are still alive, but their conditions remain uncertain. This report aims to galvanize global efforts to secure their release and hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable.
Israel’s submission of this report to the UN not only seeks justice but also aims to shed light on the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The detailed documentation of abuse provides an urgent reminder of the need for international intervention to protect the remaining hostages and prevent further atrocities.
The report’s findings demand a response from global leaders and human rights organizations. With the evidence now in the hands of the UN, the world is watching to see if moral and legal accountability will prevail.
