A United Nations team of experts, led by special envoy Pramila Patten, on Monday, reported that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel.
The team conducted a mission in Israel from January 29 to February 14 to gather, analyse and verify information, and investigate allegations of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks.
UN findings
As per a 24-page UN report, there was “Credible circumstantial information, which may be indicative of some forms of sexual violence, including genital mutilation, sexualised torture, or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”
“The mission team found clear and convincing information that some hostages taken to Gaza have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence and has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing,” said the report.
The UN team added that a “fully-fledged investigation” is needed to determine these crimes’ full extent and specific attribution.
Sexual violence against Palestinians
They also said that they have received reports of sexual violence against Palestinian men and women “in detention settings” — centres located in Israel, “during house raids and at checkpoints” after Oct. 7. Sources of these reports have been mentioned as institutional and civil society sources and direct interviews.
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However, the team said that when the allegations were raised with Israel’s Ministry of Justice and Military Advocate General; they were told that the authorities had not received any complaints of sexual violence by members of the Israel Defense Forces.
During the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas militants killed approximately 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages, according to Israeli reports. In retaliation, Israel’s response in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of around 30,000 Palestinians, as reported by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave.
Israel reacts to the UN report
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan strongly criticised the international body for its delayed recognition of sexual crimes.
He said that it took the UN five months to “finally recognise the horrifying sex crimes that occurred during the Hamas on onslaught”.
“Now that the report of the sexual atrocities and abuse that our hostages are going through in Gaza is being released, the shame of the silence of the UN — which is not even holding one hearing on the issue — is crying out to the heavens,” Erdan stated.
In response to the UN’s perceived inaction, Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that he would recall Erdan to Israel for discussions on how to proceed.
Katz criticised UN Secretary-General António Guterres for failing to convene a meeting of the UN Security Council to “declare Hamas a terror group and place sanctions on its supporters,” and said Israel was yet to hear “one word” from Guterres regarding the report.
“Guterres, wake up,” he remarked.
However, Guterres’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, refuted claims that the secretary-general was trying to suppress the report.
In a statement to AFP, Dujarric emphasised that the “work was done thoroughly and expeditiously. In no way, shape, or form did the secretary-general do anything to keep the report ‘quiet’.”
(With inputs from agencies)
