Hamas rape accounts finally addressed by international, women's groups 2 months later

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Despite widespread allegations of torment, torture, sexual assault and extreme violence by Hamas on Israeli women during their surprise attack on October 7, the atrocities were met with deafening silence around the world until this week.

Israeli police said they now have evidence of a coordinated campaign of rape and desecration by hundreds of Hamas gunners who breached the Gaza border on October 7 and began ransacking villages in southern Israel.

They say sexual violence was committed against women and children, many of whom were then murdered. Investigators said they have evidence from victims' bodies and interviews with eyewitnesses and first responders.

READ MORE: Hamas accused of using rape as weapon of war in Israel in October 7 attack

There is a growing chorus of complaints from Jewish women and advocates for survivors of sexual assault. Tuesday that included President Joe Biden, who in Boston said, "The world can't just look away at what's going on. It's on all of us...to forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists."

Critics also include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I say to the women's rights organizations, to the human rights organizations: You've heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation - where the hell are you?" Netanyahu said.

Hamas has denied the accusations without providing any evidence.

"Do we believe the Hamas spokesperson who said that rape is forbidden, therefore, it couldn't have possibly happened on October 7th? Or do we believe the women whose bodies tell us how they spent the last minutes of their lives? Who are we going to believe?" said Sheryl Sandberg, founder of the nonprofit Lean In.

Last Thursday, America's largest feminist organization, the National Organization for Women, put out a statement headline, "NOW condemns the use of rape as a weapon of war."

The group's president said in the statement, "Rape must never be part of a battle plan."

But nowhere in the statement were the words Israel or Hamas used. NOW did not immediately answer I-Team questions about why that was.