Thirteen women and two men who survived captivity by Hamas said they experienced or witnessed sexual violence while held hostage in Gaza, according to a new report by a group of Israeli researchers known as the Dinah Project.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli report released Tuesday said that Hamas used sexual violence as a “tactical weapon of war” in its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, building on other investigations by international and Israeli rights groups and the United Nations.

By Emily Rose JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli researchers released a report on Tuesday detailing sexual assault allegations against Palestinian Hamas fighters who attacked Israeli communities on October 7,

The Dinah Project, an all-women group, lays out "a legal blueprint for prosecuting these crimes", which Hamas has denied committing.

A report released on Tuesday offers detailed evidence that Hamas used sexualized violence as a "tactical weapon of war" during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel - and that such violence continued against hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

The report also presents the first legal framework for prosecuting Hamas terrorists over their use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.