On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists brutally attacked the Idan family in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. While seeking shelter, their daughter Maayan was murdered before her parents and siblings; subsequently, Tzachi was also killed. This horrific event was livestreamed on social media, exposing the family’s final moments to a global audience.
Simultaneously, in Kibbutz Holit, 16-year-old Rotem Matias survived by hiding under his deceased mother, sending a heartbreaking text to his sisters: “Mom and Dad are dead. Sorry.”
In Kfar Aza, Roee Idan was killed while shielding his 3-year-old daughter, Abigail, as his older children witnessed their mother, Smadar, being shot. The children then hid in a closet with their mother’s body, fearing for their youngest sister, who was later abducted to Gaza.
ISRAELI POLICE REPORT HAMAS TERRORISTS PERPETRATED WIDESPREAD SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND RAPE.
These are just a few accounts detailed in a report released Tuesday, co-authored by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Dr. Michal Gilad, and Dr. Ilya Rudyak. The report introduces “kinocide” to describe the systematic targeting and destruction of families during the attack—a previously unnamed atrocity surpassing conventional warfare.
“A crime without a name for victims without a voice,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy stated. “The perpetrators not only killed but deliberately aimed to destroy the foundation of human society: the family.”
“The most harrowing crimes involved families,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy continued. “While the terrorists celebrated their violence, chanting religious slogans and broadcasting their acts on social media, the terror wasn’t limited to immediate victims—it was globally amplified.”
“Social media was crucial in spreading terror, inciting further violence,” Merav Israeli-Amarant, CEO of the Civil Commission, told Digital. Referencing legal scholar Tehila Schwartz Altshuler’s term, she called this “terror theater,” emphasizing the broadcasts’ role in radicalization.
Elkayam-Levy and her team found similar tactics documented globally, from Argentina and Iraq to Syria, Sierra Leone, and Myanmar. “We’ve spoken with kinocide survivors who shared their experiences. The pain is universal. This has happened before, but it lacked a name,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy explained.
Collaborating with the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, the commission identified these patterns and advocates for kinocide’s recognition as a distinct crime. The report, following a year of research, includes survivor interviews, site visits, and extensive evidence review. The aim is to establish kinocide within international legal frameworks.
Professor Irwin Cotler, former Canadian Justice Minister and International Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, stated, “Silence equates to complicity. Denial, justification, and glorification of these acts highlight the moral and legal imperative to act decisively. The dangers of antisemitism—the oldest and deadliest hatred—foreshadow global evil, as seen on October 7.”
“We need an international coalition to address this systematic targeting of families,” Elkayam-Levy said. “However, international law is inadequate for October 7’s events. Current frameworks don’t sufficiently protect families in such attacks.”
The report, endorsed by international experts and activists, underscores the urgent need for legal and social recognition of kinocide. Despite this, Elkayam-Levy expressed concern over the international response.
Having faced denial from prominent figures after her last report on October 7, she stated, “We live in dark times where international law is weaponized against us (Israelis) in terrifying ways. As an international human rights scholar, I never anticipated such abuse directed at us. It deeply concerns me.”