Reports of Sexual Violence in the Israel-Hamas War

May 13, 2026, 21:13
EuropeInternational

Introduction

Some groups say that Hamas and Israeli soldiers hurt people in bad ways. They say this happened during and after October 7, 2023.

Main Body

An Israeli group studied the attacks from October 7. They say Hamas used sexual violence on purpose. They looked at 400 stories and 10,000 videos. The United Nations says these things probably happened. Other reports talk about Palestinian prisoners. Some people say Israeli soldiers hurt these prisoners. They say soldiers used threats and violence. The Israeli government says these stories are not true. Many countries are worried. Germany and the European Parliament want to check the prisons. They want to find the people who did these bad things.

Conclusion

Israel and Hamas both say the stories are false. International groups want to find the truth.

Learning

📌 The 'SAY' Pattern

In this text, the word say is used many times. In A2 English, we use this to report what other people think or claim.

How it works: Person/Group → say/says → The information

Examples from the text:

  • Some groups say Hamas... hurt people.
  • The Israeli government says these stories are not true.

Quick Rule:

  • Use SAY for many people (Groups say...)
  • Use SAYS for one person or one organization (Government says...)

💡 Useful Word Pairings

Look at these common blocks from the article to build your vocabulary:

Simple PhraseMeaning
On purposeNot by accident
Not trueA lie / False
Find the truthDiscover what really happened

Vocabulary Learning

reports (n.)
Statements or accounts of events
Example:The reports say that many people were hurt.
sexual (adj.)
Related to sex or sexual activity
Example:The article talks about sexual violence.
violence (n.)
Physical force used to harm
Example:The soldiers used violence against the prisoners.
Israel (n.)
A country in the Middle East
Example:Israel is involved in the conflict.
Hamas (n.)
A Palestinian political group
Example:Hamas is accused of using sexual violence.
soldiers (n.)
People who fight in the army
Example:Soldiers are trained to protect the country.
hurt (v.)
To cause pain or injury
Example:They hurt the prisoners with threats.
people (n.)
Human beings
Example:Many people were affected by the attacks.
bad (adj.)
Not good or harmful
Example:The actions were very bad.
ways (n.)
Methods or means
Example:They used many ways to scare the prisoners.
October (n.)
The tenth month of the year
Example:The attacks happened on October 7.
studied (v.)
Examined or investigated
Example:The group studied the attacks from October.
attacks (n.)
Violent acts against someone
Example:The attacks were reported by the media.
purpose (n.)
Reason or intention
Example:The violence was used for a specific purpose.
stories (n.)
Narratives or accounts
Example:The stories were shared online.
videos (n.)
Moving pictures recorded
Example:They watched many videos of the attacks.
United Nations (n.)
International organization
Example:The United Nations said the events probably happened.
prisoners (n.)
People held in custody
Example:The prisoners were in the jail.
threats (n.)
Expressions of danger or harm
Example:The soldiers used threats to control the prisoners.
government (n.)
The governing body of a country
Example:The government denied the allegations.
countries (n.)
Nations
Example:Many countries were worried about the situation.
worried (adj.)
Concerned or anxious
Example:The countries were worried about safety.
Germany (n.)
A country in Europe
Example:Germany called for an investigation.
European Parliament (n.)
The legislative body of the EU
Example:The European Parliament wants to check the prisons.
check (v.)
To examine or verify
Example:They want to check the conditions of the prisons.
prisons (n.)
Places where prisoners are held
Example:They want to inspect the prisons.
find (v.)
To discover or locate
Example:They want to find the truth.
truth (n.)
Facts that are correct
Example:The truth is important to know.