In a groundbreaking development this week, the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children unveiled a report that sheds light on the systematic and widespread targeting of families.
The report, titled "Kinocide: The Weaponization of Families," uncovers the calculated attempts to terrorize and break the spirit of entire communities and kinship groups.
According to The New York Post, the report was meticulously prepared by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Dr. Michal Gilad, and Dr. Ilya Rudyak from the Civil Commission. The document introduces the term "kinocide," defined as the exploitation of familial bonds and the weaponization of families as a distinct form of violence.
The commission undertook a comprehensive review of a vast array of materials and evidence to compile the report. This included photographs, video footage, audio recordings, satellite images, text messages exchanged during the attack, recorded testimonies, media coverage, investigative reports, and public databases.
The report provides a chilling account of the atrocities committed by Hamas against families and communities on October 7, 2023. These acts of violence ranged from killing and severe injury in the presence of other family members to the abduction of families, including children. The report also highlights the use of digital and social media to broadcast abuses directly to the victims' families and the general public, including commandeering victims' social media accounts, intentional separation of family members, and the burning and vandalizing of family homes.
The "Kinocide" report features contributions from distinguished experts such as Irwin Cotler, international chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and former minister for justice in Canada. The report has garnered endorsement from numerous leaders, prominent individuals, and organizations.
Elkayam-Levy, the founder of the Civil Commission, expressed to JNS, "The weaponization of families in war is a crime without a name, inflicted on victims without a voice. It represents a devastating form of atrocity that demands urgent recognition and action from the international community. By identifying and documenting the systematic and targeted abuse and destruction of familiesa crime we have named kinocidewe aim to give this suffering a name and provide victims with the language to articulate their unique pain, bringing this hidden cruelty into the forefront of international law and human rights discourse."
The report also highlights that the October 7 attacks were not the first instances of kinocide. The report cites other examples from war and conflict in Iraq, Syria, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Russia, Ukraine, and even earlier occurrences by Nazi Germany.
The report emphasizes the importance of identifying and naming kinocide as a crucial step towards protecting families and drawing attention to this historically unrecognized phenomenon. The authors of the report view such recognition as a potent tool for ensuring justice and accountability.
Endorsements for the Civil Commission's report have come from various quarters. Iranian-American journalist, author, and women's rights activist, Masih Alinejad, noted, "The weaponization of families is neither new nor unique to the October 7 attack, but deliberate targeting of families should be recognized as constituting a new form of international crime."
Sheryl Sandberg, founder of Lean In and producer of the documentary "Screams before Silence," also endorsed the commission's report, stating, "On October 7, Hamas struck at the heart of the Jewish community: the family unit. Hamas's atrocities against families were designed to break one of life's strongest bonds. They tried, but they must never be allowed to succeed. This groundbreaking work by the Civil Commission, led by the incredible Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, and supported by the Raoul Wallenberg Center , serves as a clarion call to the international community to stand up and take action to protect families across the globe from future acts of violence by classifying kinocide as a crime against humanity."
The Civil Commission initiated the dissemination of the report in late December 2024 and plans to continue throughout 2025 via various channels, including email distribution, in-person meetings, webinars, and conferences. This report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for international action against such heinous crimes.
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