The women of 7 October

Mapping the Women's Massacre

A map devoted to women.

Within Mapping the Massacres, one section is devoted to the women and girls struck on 7 October. The account unfolds in chapters and follows the places of the attacks on the map, from the communities near the Gaza border to the Nova festival and on to captivity in the Strip.

More than 300 women were killed that day, and about 100 women and girls were abducted. Alongside the numbers are the names, the stories of the survivors who have told of the attacks and of captivity, and the testimonies of those who saw other women for the last time.

What has been established

The United Nations report.

From 29 January to 14 February 2024 Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, led a mission to Israel with nine experts. The team held 34 confidential interviews with survivors of and witnesses to the attacks, released hostages and first responders, and reviewed more than 5,000 photographs and about 50 hours of video.

The report, published on 4 March 2024, concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred on 7 October in multiple locations, including rape and gang rape in at least three sites: the Nova festival site and its surroundings, Road 232 and Kibbutz Re'im. Regarding the hostages, the mission found clear and convincing information of rape and sexualised torture.

Human Rights Watch, in its July 2024 report, also lists crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence among the war crimes committed by the Hamas-led armed groups.

Why we remember them

Leaving nothing out.

Remembering the women of 7 October also means acknowledging and telling of the sexual violence, without leaving it out of the account of that day.

• Use the buttons at the bottom of the panel to move from one chapter to the next.
• Tap a name on the map to open that person's entry.
• Use the magnifying glass at the top to search for a name or a place.