Condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 966 condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I was proud to join my dear friend and colleague, Representative Lois Frankel of Florida--one of the strongest champions for the rights of women and girls around the world--in introducing this important, bipartisan resolution.

I am also grateful to our colleagues, Representatives Mario Diaz- Balart and Jen Kiggans for their leadership and commitment to raising awareness of the sexual and gender-based violence committed against Israeli women.

Mr. Speaker, on October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, going house to house, murdering civilians, executing parents in front of their children, and massacring hundreds of young people at a music festival. In addition to the 1,200 people Hamas killed that day, it took an estimated 250 innocent civilians into Gaza, including women and children.

Since that day, we have only begun to understand the full scale of the horrific sexual violence that Hamas used as a weapon of war against Israeli women in its attack.

Just this morning, I heard firsthand testimony of witnesses and saw photographs of Israeli women of all ages who were raped, mutilated, brutalized, burned, and killed in horrific and unimaginable ways. Every day, more and more evidence is surfacing of the widespread and deliberate sexual violence that is almost unspeakable in its brutality.

This weaponized sexual violence should shock the conscience of the entire world. Despite all the evidence, however, some have minimized or outright denied the fact that Hamas used rape as a weapon of war on October 7.

The collective silence about this heinous sexual violence from groups around the world who purport to stand up for women's rights has been devastating--groups including UN Women, which took months to issue a statement clearly condemning these despicable acts as evil.

We are here today because we cannot and will not allow these horrific crimes to be denied. We must confront the terrible reality of what Hamas did in these attacks and the trauma inflicted on so many women and men.

That is why this resolution unequivocally condemns these atrocities, calls on all international bodies to denounce them, and reaffirms that the U.S. House of Representatives stands with these victims just like we stand with all women who are survivors of rape and sexual violence.

We remain deeply concerned for the women who are still among the hostages being held by Hamas. There is deep concern that these women are continuing to be sexually abused and may be pregnant. This House and this Congress must continue to do everything we can to get every single one of the remaining hostages released and home to their families.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my friend, the chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, the co-chair of the Bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Caucus, and the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleagues who have spoken out and condemned the brutal sexual violence committed against Israeli women and girls on October 7.

With the passage of this important bipartisan resolution, we send a clear message that rape is wrong, the rape of Israeli women is wrong, the rape of all those brutalized during war is wrong. It must be called out, and it must be condemned. The United States stands firmly against gender-based violence and sexual abuse of women by Hamas.

Once again, I thank Representative Lois Frankel for her extraordinary leadership on this issue, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Manning for yielding me time and for her leadership. I thank Representative Frankel for her phenomenal leadership on this issue and so many other issues.

I rise today to urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting a bipartisan resolution which forcefully condemns Hamas' use of rape and sexual violence as weapons of war on and since October 7.

On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and committed horrific and repulsive acts of violence, murder, and torture, including sexual assault, rape, and genital mutilation on babies, children, women, men, and the elderly, including Americans.

These deliberate and targeted acts on civilians have been verified through the testimony of first responders, eyewitness accounts, CCTV, pictures, and forensic evidence. If that wasn't enough, Hamas terrorists even recorded their acts using cameras and the phones of their victims, and cheered and celebrated as they did it. Then, these terrorists proceeded to post these videos online and send them to the families of their victims, who they mutilated and murdered.

These terrorists didn't even try to cover up their heinous acts because they wanted the world to know what they did. They wanted the world to know what they think is an acceptable way to treat Jewish people. Since then, they have promised more waves of violence and second, third, and fourth October 7s. Who would do this?

As a Member of Congress, the House Intelligence Committee, and someone who has traveled to Israel since October 7, I have seen these gut-wrenching videos and heard the testimony of survivors of the horrific acts of sexual violence and torture. These stories and images will stay with me forever. I will never forget seeing them.

That is why I continue to wear this dog tag around my neck. It symbolizes the hostages who are still being abused and held by Hamas terrorists, including the Americans still kidnapped and all of those who were victims on October 7 and experienced the most gruesome acts imaginable.

Sexual violence, assault, and rape have no place in our world, and I am shocked by those who continue to deny that these acts were used by Hamas as weapons of war against innocent civilians on October 7.

There are those who equivocate about Hamas and the terrors they have committed. There should be no equivocation. Any equivocation is despicable. Hamas is designated by the United States of America as a foreign terrorist organization. They are terrorists, period. There is no argument to be had.

In the past, the biased United Nations and its affiliated organizations have been quick to condemn acts of brutality, sexual violence, and rape

around the globe. However, the response from UN Women, whose job is to defend and promote women's rights anywhere and everywhere, was egregiously late. I cannot fathom why an organization that exists for the sole purpose of advancing women's rights would hesitate, even a single second, to condemn the use of rape as a weapon of terror. There is no excuse.

There are those today who try to deny what Hamas did on October 7. We see people constantly pumping misinformation on social media, including TikTok, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Government, to further spew anti-Semitic, anti-Israel rhetoric and even denial of acts of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas terrorists. Sexual violence is a recognized war crime that must always be condemned.

The silence and lies from those who continue to deny acts of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas terrorists and those who vote against this resolution is unacceptable. To deny the events of October 7 is an insult to the many victims of extreme sexual violence in Israel that day and to those who remain hostage today, including Americans we must bring home.

Mr. Speaker, today, my colleagues have a chance to recognize the horrific sexual violence from Hamas terrorists on innocent civilians 131 days ago. I urge them all to vote for and help pass this bipartisan resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I am rising today not only as a Member of this Congress but as a mother and a grandmother.

Mr. Speaker, there are some subjects that are so difficult to talk about, but it is our responsibility to do so.

Today, we shine a light on something very terrible: sexual violence used as a weapon of war. Today, our usually divided House, with the support of our Speaker, the Democratic leaders, and my friends, Kathy Manning, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Jen Kiggans, are presenting with 200-- let me repeat that, 200--cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, from all philosophical bents, a bipartisan resolution condemning sexual violence as a weapon of war and Hamas' despicable acts of rape and sexual violence in its war against Israel.

I send a special shout-out to my good friend from Florida, Mario Diaz-Balart, for his exceptional leadership for standing up for Israel and for the girls and women of this world.

Mr. Speaker, today we mark 131 days since October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, mercilessly killed 1,200 people, tortured and maimed thousands of others, taking 240 hostages.

War is never nice, but some actions in war are so awful and so devoid of humanity, they are considered crimes.

Hamas terrorists' actions on October 7 and continuing are almost too difficult to speak about--raping, mutilating, burning, and assaulting victims to inflict physical and psychological pain, unleashing trauma that continues to plague a grieving Israel.

This is what Raz Cohen, a survivor who witnessed Hamas' brutal rampage remembers. He said that five men came out of a van. They captured a woman, ripping off her clothes as they formed a circle around her. One raped her and killed her with a knife. Then he raped her again. He said that he still remembers her voice, screams without words--while Hamas just laughed.

Raz' story is just one account of the widespread, unimaginable crimes Hamas committed.

A well-known Israeli activist and actress, Noa Tishby, put it this way, saying that these rapes were not spontaneous. They were planned. They were calculated. In fact, they were a priority.

In their interrogations, captured Hamas terrorists calmly shared their orders to soil the women. They gang-raped women to death. They shot them in the head while they were raping them. They stabbed them and shot them while raping them. They raped them next to bodies of those who already had been slaughtered. They sliced off their breasts. First responders found bodies with nails driven inside girls' vaginas.

Mr. Speaker, together with colleagues, I recently met with the parents of two young women kidnapped by Hamas. They are 19 and 20 years old. They are both musicians. They, along with 20 other young women, are feared to be held captive underground in Gaza where air and food are scarce and abuse is abundant.

They have been there 131 days.

It is excruciating to imagine the horrors they are experiencing each day and the emotional torture of their families.

We must bring these hostages home now.

Shockingly and alarmingly, Hamas' brutal violence has been met with a shrug from many corners of the world. Some even deny it.

Sexual violence as a weapon of war has been used throughout history and around the world to terrorize and traumatize victims, but that doesn't make it okay. It must never be normalized.

Our resolution makes it clear: Sexual violence is a crime against humanity. Our resolution condemns all rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war, including those acts committed by Hamas. It calls on all nations to criminalize rape and sexual assault. It calls on all international bodies to condemn Hamas' barbaric actions. It reaffirms our support for an independent investigation of rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas and reaffirms our commitment to supporting survivors of rape and sexual violence.

I urge all our Members to join us in supporting this important amendment in a statement of humanity.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 966) condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 966. On October 7, Israel suffered one of the worst days in its history as over 1,200 innocent people were slaughtered in cold blood and more than 220 people taken hostage.

In the days following the initial attack, Israeli police began gathering evidence of the atrocities committed that day.

Since then, eyewitnesses from survivors and captured terrorists have confirmed that Hamas terrorists were ordered and encouraged to commit disgusting acts of sexual violence against Israeli civilians.

These gruesome assaults did not end on October 7. The Hamas terrorists that perpetuated this attack dragged innocent men, women, and children away from their families into dark, cold, underground tunnels where they were kept hostage in brutal conditions.

Only recently has it become clear what kind of horrors the hostage faced in their captivity. Survivors have described the awful conditions they were kept in and the abuse they suffered underground, including instances of rape and sexual abuse.

The U.N. and other international bodies have glossed over these atrocities and failed to fully condemn Hamas for its rape and sexual assault, despite purporting to stand for human rights.

Today, we will unequivocally condemn sexual violence as a weapon of war by Hamas and all other depraved aggressors.

I thank Congresswoman Frankel for introducing this resolution, which I am proud to support and which deserves our unanimous support.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel on October 7 can never be forgotten. The brutal torture, murder, and rape of innocents will forever go down as one of the worst terrorist attacks in the world's history. We, as the United States, must stand against the use of sexual violence in any form as a weapon of war. We must continue to work for the safe return of all remaining hostages.

It is essential that Congress stands united to show the world that we will not turn a blind eye while terrorists slaughter, torture, and rape innocents.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution. I ask all of my colleagues in this House to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on October 7, 2023, Hamas infiltrated Israel and brutally attacked and murdered thousands of men, women, children, and babies, taking 240 hostages, including those that were so unbelievably innocent.

Women were beaten. Women were raped. They were paraded around covered in blood. Some were so brutally raped that their pelvises were broken. They begged for mercy, but none was given. They begged to die, but Hamas would not allow that until they were first dehumanized, beaten, and raped.

Hamas celebrated. They celebrated, and they took photos and videos of these horrific crimes. Families were forced to watch videos of their loved ones, their daughters, their babies, their wives, their mothers being brutalized, raped, and killed. Babies were decapitated. They were put in ovens.

This was not a military operation. Hamas is not a military group. They are not freedom fighters. They are not fighting against oppression. They are nothing more than the face of evil.

This vote is not complicated. You can vote to stand against rape, torture, and murder of women. You can vote to stop the innocent from being harmed. You can vote to stand alongside those who committed these horrific, evil crimes, or you can vote to say that it is awful.

It is up to the men and women in this Chamber. It is a simple choice. Every single Member of Congress should acknowledge that these actions are despicable, barbaric, disgusting, and evil. Every single Member of Congress should stand on this House floor and vote to condemn these violent acts and show your support for the innocent victims of these terrorists. Every single Member of Congress must stand on the right side of history.

I stand with Israel. I stand with these women, with these babies, and with these mothers. I hope that we all do.