Gal Abdush’s parents, center, and her sisters.

The
photograph on the wall shows Gal and her husband, Nagi.
The couple had been together since they were teenagers.

ʻScreams Without Wordsʼ:

How Hamas Weaponized
Sexual Violence on Oct. 7
A Times investigation uncovered new details
showing a pattern of rape, mutilation and
extreme brutality against women in the
attacks on Israel.

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By Jeffrey Gettleman, Anat Schwartz and Adam Sella

Photographs by Avishag Shaar-Yashuv
Jeffrey Gettleman, Anat Schwartz and Adam Sella reported
from across Israel and interviewed more than 150 people.

Dec. 28, 2023

At first, she was known simply as “the woman

in the black dress.”
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Jeffrey Gettleman is an international

Reject correspondent and a
winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of “Love,
Africa,” a memoir. More about Jeffrey Gettleman

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Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

A Traumatic Event: Across religious and political

divides, Israelis are starting to come to terms with
what the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7
meant for Israel as a state, for Israelis as a
society, and for its citizens as individuals.

Death Toll in Gaza: The number of Gaza residents

reported killed during Israelʼs war in the territory
has surpassed the toll for any other Arab conflict
with Israel in more than 40 years. Most experts
say the figure is most likely an undercount.

Keeping a Low Profile: The war in Gaza has thrust

the Houthis, a Yemeni militia, into the global
spotlight. As the group creates chaos in the Red
Sea by firing missiles toward Israel, Saudi Arabia
would rather watch from the sidelines.

West Bank Raids: Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7

attacks on Israel, the Jenin neighborhood of the
Israeli-occupied West Bank has been a focal point
of what Israeli officials describe as
counterterrorism operations.

A Subdued Christmas: The war in Gaza has

prompted the West Bank city of Bethlehem, which
is traditionally seen as the birthplace of Jesus, to
tone down its celebrations for the holiday.

More In Middle East ›

Where Was the Israeli Military?

Skepticism Grows Over Israelʼs Ability to

Dismantle Hamas

Israel Warns That Time for Diplomacy

With Lebanon Is ʻRunning Outʼ

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