Hamas Likely Raped Women On 7 October – UN Report

Posted by: Eninu William in world news March 5, 2024

A UN team has concluded there are “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, was committed during the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October.

They also said there was “convincing information” that hostages had been subjected to sexual violence.

The trip was led by Pramila Patten, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Hamas has denied its gunmen sexually assaulted women during the attacks.

“The mission team found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations during the 7 October attacks,” the UN report said.

These happened in at least three locations – the Nova music festival site and its surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re’im, it added. Hamas gunmen infiltrated southern Israel on 7 October. They killed about 1,200 people and took 253 others hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza. During this, 30,500 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Reports of sexual violence carried out by Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the UK and others – began to emerge soon after 7 October and have accumulated steadily ever since. The BBC has also seen and heard evidence of rape, sexual violence and mutilation of women.

In the report, the UN said it had “found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages”.

The UN team visited Israel between 29 January and 14 February. The mission made up of Ms Patten and nine experts and was not investigative in nature. It was designed to gather and verify allegations, the UN said.

It added that 33 meetings were held with Israeli representatives. More than 5,000 photographic images were examined as well as 50 hours of video footage.

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