Israeli report says Hamas sexual crimes ‘systematic’

An Israeli report has accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of carrying out “systematic” sexual crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The report, compiled by a team of researchers from Israeli universities, alleges that Hamas has been using sexual violence as a tool of repression and control in the territory.

The authors of the report claim that Hamas has established a network of informants and collaborators who are tasked with identifying individuals deemed to be a threat to the group’s authority. These individuals are then targeted for sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse.

The report also alleges that Hamas has used sexual violence to maintain control over the population, particularly women and children. The authors claim that many victims of these crimes are too afraid to come forward out of fear of retaliation from Hamas.

Human rights organizations have long accused Hamas of human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings. The Israeli report is likely to further inflame tensions between Israel and Hamas, which have been locked in a decades-long conflict over the control of the Gaza Strip.