Israel Prize awarded to scholar who collected evidence of Hamas's sexual violence against women

Israel's Education Minister Yoav Kisch has announced that Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy will receive the Israel Prize in the Solidarity category.

The most prestigious Israeli award will recognize her contribution to collecting evidence of Hamas's sexual crimes against women during the attacks on October 7.

Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy formed the Civil Commission, consisting of lawyers, criminologists, and researchers from various fields, to gather evidence of gender-based crimes committed by Hamas on October 7. The commission collaborated with the Israeli police and prosecutor's office. Commission members interviewed ZAKA volunteers and victim identification center staff. They analyzed videos made by militants on October 7. They also studied Arabic texts to understand the orders given to the militants before the attack.

The evidence collected by the commission was presented to international media and researchers. Elkayam-Levy and her colleagues aim to make sure that Hamas's weaponization of sexual violence is internationally recognized.