UN Finds 'Convincing information' of Sexual Abuse Perpetrated Against Hostages In Gaza
The United Nations has reported "convincing information" that Palestinian hostages in Gaza have been sexually abused, including raped and tortured in a sexualized fashion.
As far as the United Nations is concerned, the abuse may be ongoing.
In addition, the UN team found "reasonable grounds to believe" that gang rape and other forms of sexual assault occurred during the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas.
Israel's foreign ministry said it welcomed the "definitive recognition that Hamas committed sexual crimes".
Israeli spokesman Lior Haiat has called on the United Nations Security Council to label Hamas as a terrorist organization and penalize it globally.
Hamas rejected the UN report as "baseless and only aimed at demonising the Palestinian resistance".
The group denies its gunmen sexually assaulted women during the attacks or mistreated female hostages they took to Gaza.
A team led by Pramila Patten, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, "found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualised torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" had been perpetrated against hostages.
She informed reporters that there were "reasonable grounds" to suspect that such brutality could be "ongoing" against individuals who were still held in captivity.
Israel, the United Kingdom, and other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Reports of sexual assault committed by members of this group started to surface shortly after October 7th and have continued to pile since then, according to the BBC.
Israel launched a military operation in Gaza in response to the incident on October 7th; the health ministry operated by Hamas reports that 30,500 people have been killed during this war.
From January 29th through February 14th, a UN delegation visited Israel.
The mission, led by Ms Patten along with nine experts, was not investigative in nature, but designed to gather and verify allegations, the UN said.
Additionally, 33 meetings were conducted with Israeli personnel, and over 5,000 photographic photos and 50 hours of video material were reviewed.
The team was unable to interview any of the victims, the report stated, "despite concerted efforts to encourage" them to come forward.
Among the "unfounded" accusations of sexual assault and rape that the report detailed was the widely publicized instance of a pregnant lady whose womb was allegedly ripped open and her unborn child stabbed. The UN claimed that inadequate imagery made it impossible to verify other reports.
Also, it stated that it couldn't find any evidence of a consistent pattern of genital mutilation.
"Unwanted touching of intimate areas" and "prolonged forced nudity" were alleged acts of sexual abuse against Palestinians held by Israel, according to the UN report. This allegedly occurred in detention settings, during house raids, and at checkpoints following October 7th.
Conservative cultural standards may have prevented the reporting of sexual assault, the research stated, explaining why no cases of rape against Palestinians were documented. This section of the report was rejected by Israel's foreign ministry.
"That is a derisive and deliberate Palestinian manoeuvre aimed at creating an intolerable equivalence between the horrific crimes that were committed, and continue to be committed, by Hamas and malicious and baseless claims made against Israel and Israelis," said Mr Haiat.
According to Israel, the charges levelled by a group of impartial UN experts were "despicable and unfounded" in their earlier iteration.
According to Mr. Haiat, Israel was also against a suggestion in the report that the nation cooperate with the United Nations' international Commission of Inquiry, which is attempting to investigate any war crimes committed by all parties involved.
The investigation, he said, was anti-Israel.
Regarding the UN report on the mass rapes, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz recalled the ambassador for "consultations" on Monday, accusing the UN of trying to quiet the issue.
He criticised UNSG António Guterres for skipping a Security Council meeting to review the results and label Hamas a terrorist group.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that during Ms Patten's visit to Israel, Mr. Guterres "has fully supported" her work.
"In no way, shape or form did the secretary-general do anything to keep the report 'quiet'. In fact, the report is being presented publicly today," Mr Dujarric said.