Full Breakdown
Presentation of “Silenced No More” Report to UN Human Rights Council
6/27/2026, 12:25:01 PM
Presentation of “Silenced No More” Report to UN Human Rights Council
On 26 June 2026, Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Chair of Israel’s Civil Commission, presented the “Silenced No More” report to the UN Human Rights Council’s Annual Women’s Rights discussion in Geneva. The report documents sexual crimes by Hamas during the October 7 massacre and while holding hostages.
Origins of Allegations of Sexual Violence in October 7 Attack
The October 7 Hamas attack caused mass casualties and civilian abductions. Subsequent allegations described systematic sexual violence against Israeli women and girls. The Civil Commission convened international experts in law and human rights to investigate and compile evidence for the report.
Principal Actors and Institutions
- Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy – Chair, Civil Commission, Israel
- Hillel Neuer – Executive Director, UN Watch
- Civil Commission – Israeli war-crimes documentation body
- UN Human Rights Council – venue for presentation
Documented Patterns of Sexual Abuse
The commission identified thirteen patterns of sexual abuse, including rape, gang rape, sexual torture, deliberate burning, and intentional mutilation of faces and genitals. It also coined “kinocidal sexual violence” to describe the intentional use of sexual brutality to inflict family trauma.
Commission and UN Watch Calls for UN Action
Dr. Elkayam-Levy urged the UN to formally recognize the findings, extend unconditional compassion to Israeli victims, and avoid a double standard in addressing gender-based violence. Hillel Neuer echoed this, condemning the UN for failing to protect Israeli women and enabling global hostility.
Accusations of UN Double Standard and Denial
Both speakers cited “silence, hesitation, and at times active and aggressive denial” of Hamas’s sexual crimes. They argued the UN’s lack of response reflects a double standard that disadvantages Israeli victims while other groups receive greater protection.
Implications for Legal Accountability and Terrorism
The documentation aims to fill legal gaps, support survivor justice, and warn that other extremist groups may study and replicate Hamas’s tactics. Recognizing these crimes could influence international legal frameworks and humanitarian policy.
Absence of Official UN Response
The sources do not provide any official UN response to the presentation, leaving a gap in the public record of how the council intends to act on the commission’s recommendations.
Direct Statements
- “We documented crimes so brutal that existing legal frameworks struggle to fully describe them.” — Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Chair of the Civil Commission
- “We encountered silence, hesitation, and at times active and aggressive denial.” — Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy
- “This report is not about the past. It is about the future. It reveals some of the most dangerous developments in contemporary terrorism.” — Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy
- “Israeli victims did not receive compassion or protection from this system.” — Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch
- “Instead, they were exposed to the hatred that rages throughout the world and to the institutions that enable it.” — Hillel Neuer
Future UN Deliberations
The presenters urged the UN Human Rights Council to adopt the report’s findings, consider formal resolutions addressing “kinocidal sexual violence,” and implement mechanisms to ensure equitable protection for all victims of gender-based war crimes.
