According to their latest report, Israeli women were mass-raped, including genital mutilation, sexual torture, or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, on October 7.
It is reasonable to assume that sexual violence and mass rape occurred at several locations during the October 7 attack by the radical Islamist Hamas on Israel, according to a report published by UN experts on Monday.
The team of experts, led by Pramila Patten, the UN Special Envoy for Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict, visited Israel between January 29 and February 14 to collect data and to evaluate and verify information on cases of sexual violence.
"Credible circumstantial information was also collected, which may indicate some forms of sexual violence, including genital mutilation, sexual torture, or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment"
– can be read in the 24-page UN report.
Hamas has repeatedly denied allegations of such crimes.
"The delegation found clear and convincing information that some of the hostages taken to the Gaza Strip were subjected to sexual violence, and there is reason to believe that such violence will continue"
says the report.
According to the expert group, a full-scale investigation is needed to assess the magnitude of the committed sexual violence.
The experts also reported that they had examined cases of sexual violence committed against Palestinian men and women, which they suffered in official custody, during house searches and at checkpoints. For this purpose, in addition to institutional and NGO sources, they also relied on direct interviews. In the case, the Israeli Ministry of Justice and the Military Prosecutor General were approached, who said that there were no complaints against members of the Israeli army for sexual violence.
Last year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged a careful investigation of such excesses, saying that "gender-based violence must be condemned at all times and everywhere."
“The UN claims to care about women, but as we speak, Israeli women are being raped and abused by Hamas terrorists. Where is the voice of the UN?”
Gilad Erdan, Israel's permanent ambassador to the UN, announced on Monday in the General Assembly of the world organization. "Relentless pressure must be put on Hamas to end the sexual violence and release the hostages immediately," Erdan added.
Prior to the publication of the report, Israel's Foreign Minister Yisráel Katz announced during the day that the country's UN ambassador would be called home for immediate consultations. Katz argued that
the UN is "trying to silence the mass rapes committed by Hamas and its allies on October 7".
Katz also criticized Guterres for not convening the UN Security Council to discuss the results of the investigation and for declaring Hamas a terrorist organization.
Featured image: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres makes a statement at the world organization's headquarters in New York on October 25, 2023, after the Israeli ambassador announced that Israel will not grant visas to several UN representatives due to the Secretary-General's statements the previous day.
Then Guterres declared: the Palestinian people had been kept under a suffocating occupation for 56 years. MTI/EPA/Justin Lane
