H. Res. 966

H. Res. 966

In the House of Representatives, U. S., February 14, 2024.

Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and brutally murdered 1,200 men, women, and children, injured thousands, and took 240 hostages including babies and children;

Whereas Israeli police have gathered thousands of testimonies from eyewitnesses of Hamas violence on October 7, 2023, including countless instances of rape, gang rape, sexual mutilation, and other forms of sexual violence, and are continuing to gather evidence;

Whereas photographic evidence, forensic medical units, and morgue workers have identified bodies subjected to mutilation and trauma consistent with sexual assault and rape, including shattered pelvises;

Whereas eyewitness accounts from survivors of the attacks and Hamas body camera footage in Israel’s southern communities and the Nova music festival in Re’im document gang rape and genital mutilation;

Whereas terrorists captured by Israeli security forces admitted they had been ordered by Hamas leaders to carry out sexual violence against Israeli civilians;

Whereas it has been reported that many victims of rape and sexual assault on October 7th, were murdered by the Hamas perpetrators and are unable to provide testimony;

Whereas released Israeli hostages have reported instances of sexual assault or abuse that occurred while held hostage by Hamas;

Whereas Israel’s police, in coordination with Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, has launched investigations to build cases on charges of mass murder, rape, torture, and bodily mutilation of civilians during the Hamas attacks;

Whereas human rights lawyers, criminologists, and researchers leading the ‘‘Israeli Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children’’ have concluded that Hamas terrorists ‘‘weaponized violence against women’’ to inflict physical and psychological trauma;

Whereas rape and sexual violence have, throughout history, been used as weapons of war around the world to terrorize and subvert populations;

Whereas rape and sexual violence have serious and difficult mental, physical, and emotional impacts on victims, their families, and communities;

Whereas some international bodies have been slow to condemn Hamas brutal actions on October 7th, and in some cases, failed to explicitly mention instances of sexual and gender-based violence against women:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

condemns all rape and forms of sexual violence as weapons of war, including those acts committed by Hamas terrorists on and since October 7th;
calls on all nations to criminalize rape and sexual assault, and hold accountable all perpetrators of sexual violence, including state and non-state armed groups;
calls on all international bodies to unequivocally condemn the barbaric murder, rape, sexual assault, and kidnapping by Hamas and other terrorists on and since October 7th, and hold accountable all perpetrators;
reaffirms the United States Government’s support for independent, impartial investigations of rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas on and since October 7th; and
reaffirms its commitment to supporting survivors of rape and sexual violence, including those brutalized on and since October 7.

Attest:

Clerk.

Rep. Matthew Cartwright

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