'It's hard to listen' to stories of sexual violence in Oct. 7 attacks, expert tells Winnipeg crowd

Hundreds gathered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Wednesday night for a discussion about stories of gender-based violence by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7 last year.

The event, Hear Our Voices, was hosted and streamed online by Jewish Child and Family Service, and moderated by Gail Asper, who chairs the Asper Foundation.

Lawyer and women's rights expert Ayelet Razin Bet Or, who is part of a group of Israeli experts who are going over evidence and testimony of sexual violence from hostages, first responders and victims, which they say happened during the attack, was one of the keynote speakers.

"I'm here to tell the story," Razin Bet Or said.

A university lecturer, she formerly served as director of the Authority for the Advancement and Status of Women in Israel's Ministry of Social Equality, and worked as a legal advisor for the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.

"It's hard to listen to what I have to say, but this is what happened, and it's only the beginning. We're only in the beginning of investigating this story and this is what happened, and people need to know ... to take a stand and to take action," Razin Bet Or said.

She helped organize a delegation that presented on the topic at the United Nations.

Razin Bet Or told CBC News she was invited to speak in Winnipeg and is sharing her group's work, so people can bear witness to what happened on Oct. 7.

Jewish Child and Family Service said hundreds attended in person and on a livestream.

She shared information and testimony of sexual violence that she said she's seen with her own eyes or heard with her own ears, some of which she said has been verified by the Israeli government.

Razin Bet Or said she hopes the international community condemns Hamas and its alleged sexual violence in Israel.

Gail Asper hasn't been able to stop thinking about what happened on Oct. 7. Wednesday's event was personal to her because her friend's daughter survived the Hamas attack at the Supervova music festival that day.

"The world should be condemning in the strongest possible voices this kind of behaviour and making sure it doesn't happen again," Asper said.

Earlier this month, United Nations experts called for accountability for growing evidence of rape and genital mutilation against Israelis. They say it points to possible crimes against humanity.

The Israeli government estimates Hamas killed about 1,200 people in an attack that began Oct. 7 with raids and rockets, including in kibbutzim and the outdoor Supernova music. Hamas also seized about 240 hostages.

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via this government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.