The Black Dress: Unveiling the Truth about Rape, Sexual Assault on October 7

While sexual assaults on Palestinian women are as old as the Israeli war on the Palestinians, starting during the years of the Nakba - the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 - there is little evidence that Palestinians utilized sexual violence in their struggle against the Israeli occupation. Yet, on December 28, the US’ so-called newspaper of record, The New York Times, claimed, in a supposedly comprehensive report entitled ‘Screams without Words: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7’, that Israeli women were raped on October 7. The report was first published digitally on December 28, then in print on December 31. Two leading Palestinian media organizations, The Palestine Chronicle and Friends of Palestine Network, conducted a joint investigation, based on media reports, in addition to historical and political analyses. The outcome of their investigation resulted in the launch of ‘The Black Dress’, an 18-minute documentary looking into The New York Times allegations and the possible falsification of evidence regarding what has truly transpired on October 7.