Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (Dec 5) said that in his meeting with hostages that were released by Hamas during a week-long truce between the warring sides, he had heard stories of sexual abuse. He also called out the women’s and human rights’ organisations to take stern action against the Palestinian militant group.
He further expressed his disappointment over not hearing the outrage from human rights organizations on the matter.
“Today, along with the cabinet members, I met with the families of the hostages. Those who we have returned home and those who we are trying to bring back home. I heard stories that broke my heart, I heard about the thirst and hunger, about physical and mental abuse, about the little witnesses that are still whispering from fear, about the darkness the loved ones still live under. I heard and you also heard, about sexual assault and cases of brutal rape unlike anything. But I must say that just until a few days I didn’t hear human rights organizations and women’s rights organizations I didn’t hear women’s organizations in the U.N. I didn’t hear their outrage,” Netanyahu said.
“I say to the women’s rights organisations, to the human rights organisations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation, where the hell are you, I expect all civilized leaders, governments, nations, to speak up against these atrocities,” he added.
He then mentioned that the ground offensive in Gaza had expanded to the south of the Gaza Strip and that “there is no place beyond our reach.”
“Our fighters are expanding the ground operation against Hamas in every place in the strip, including the south of the strip, tonight we operated there with massive force, the earth shook in Khan Younis, the earth shook in Jabalia, we besieged both of them,” he said.
Biden urges global condemnation of sexual violence by Hamas
United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for global condemnation of “horrific” sexual violence by the Palestinian militant group.
“The world can’t just look away at what’s going on,” Biden said at a campaign event in Boston.
“It’s on all of us — government, international organizations, civil society and businesses — to forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation.”
He then mentioned the reports of Hamas using “rape to terrorize women and girls” during the attacks it launched against Israel last month.
“Over the past few weeks, survivors and witnesses of the attacks have shared the horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty,” including rape, mutilation and the desecration of bodies, he said.
“Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them — It is appalling.”
(With inputs from agencies)
