Documentary 'Cries Before Silence' Released on Sexual Assaults by Hamas Members

The documentary 'Cries Before Silence' is the latest work by Sheryl Sandberg, former Chief Operating Officer of Meta. According to 'Times of Israel', Sheryl Sandberg has created a documentary that showcases the sexual crimes committed by members of the militant group Hamas on October 7 of last year and thereafter. This documentary, recently released on YouTube, features testimonies from survivors, freed hostages, and first witnesses of this tragedy. The Hamas militants, supported by the Islamic Republic, killed 1,200 people and took over 240 others hostage during the attack on southern Israel on October 7 of last year. Most of the victims and hostages were civilians. Amit Susana, who was abducted by Hamas militants from the kibbutz 'Kfar Aza', appeared on camera as one of the witnesses in this documentary. In March, the United Nations released a report indicating that sexual assault and gang rape occurred during the Hamas militants' attack. According to this report, there is clear and convincing evidence that hostages were sexually assaulted while detained in Gaza, and hostages currently held by Hamas continue to face such abuses. Two UN special rapporteurs called for accountability from Hamas for a number of crimes attributed to this militant group, including torture and sexual assault, during the October 7 attack on Israel. Alice Jill Edwards, the UN special rapporteur on torture, and Morris Tidball-Binz, the special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, have been appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not comment on behalf of the UN. They stated that an increasing number of evidence indicates disturbing acts such as sexual torture, gang rapes, mutilation, and shooting in the genital area. These two rapporteurs deemed such actions a 'gross violation of international law' that, according to them, constitutes 'war crimes.' Previously, Israeli officials had accused Hamas of carrying out such actions, and police investigators in the country are also gathering evidence of sexual violence cases. Nevertheless, Hamas denies these actions. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, in response to the statements of the two special rapporteurs, called on social media for Hamas's actions in committing horrific sexual violence to be condemned immediately and explicitly. The European Union sanctioned the military branches of 'Hamas' and 'Islamic Jihad' for 'sexual and gender-based violence' in the attack on Israel. A narrative from an Israeli woman about her captivity under Hamas; from beatings and shackling to sexual assault at gunpoint. Senior US officials discussed the sexual violence of Hamas forces with a UN representative.