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; 
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•HRES 966 EH 

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; and 

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— 
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•HRES 966 EH 

(1) condemns all rape and forms of sexual violence 

as weapons of war, including those acts committed by 

Hamas terrorists on and since October 7th; 

(2) 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; 

(3) 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; 

(4) 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 

(5) reaffirms its commitment to supporting survivors of rape and sexual violence, including those brutalized on and since October 7. 

Attest: 

Clerk.