Gaza war
UN: Rape by Hamas terrorists likely
Israeli women hold placards calling for the release of Israeli hostages. A UN report sees sexual violence as likely in the Hamas terrorist attack. photo
© Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Hamas’ October 7 terror struck thousands of Israelis. A new UN report shows how women have fallen victim to particularly heinous crimes.
Among these locations is the site of a music festival that was attacked by the terrorists on October 7, as well as a street and a kibbutz. “In most of these incidents, victims of rape were subsequently killed, and at least two incidents involved the rape of women’s corpses,” it said. The report did not have the mandate to name culprits. A “comprehensive investigation” was needed, it said.
The report also describes statements from “credible sources” who reported murdered women in various locations in Israel who were naked from the waist down, with their hands tied behind their backs, and who were killed with a gunshot to the head. In some cases they were “tied to structures such as trees and poles.”
Viewed more than 5,000 photos and 50 hours of video
Patten’s team’s investigation took place from late January to mid-February. There were dozens of meetings with representatives of Israeli authorities and organizations, and more than 5,000 photos and 50 hours of video were viewed. The United Nations conducted 34 interviews with witnesses. The team did not speak to any surviving victims. The report attributed this, on the one hand, to their ongoing trauma and, on the other hand, to the victims’ “lack of trust” in international organizations such as the UN.
Terrorists from Hamas and other militant groups attacked Israel on October 7th, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military offensive has so far killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.
The report continued that there was “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexual torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, was committed against hostages.” This could currently continue in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
Israel Army: Terrorists kidnapped women as “slaves” on October 7th
Israel’s military has now released audio recordings intended to prove that women were also abducted as “slaves” during the attack on Israel on October 7th. The voices of men can be heard in the recordings, which are said to be from the day of the invasion. According to Israeli reports, these were also employees of the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA. For example, the teacher at a UNRWA school is said to have said that he had captured a “slave,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference. The authenticity of the recordings could not initially be independently verified. A reaction from UNWRA to the allegations was initially pending.
According to Israeli sources, the man used the Arabic word “sabaija” in the conversation. The term refers to women and children who are personal property of a Muslim, Hagari said. But it also means “servant” and “slave”. In the language of the terrorist militia IS (Islamic State), which had temporarily ruled large parts of Syria and Iraq, women – especially from the Yazidi minority – were sexually abused using this term. In addition, another terrorist can be heard in an audio recording describing a woman in his power as a “noble mare”. This information could not initially be independently verified.
UN report: Some allegations also “unfounded”
However, the United Nations report dismissed some allegations of violence as “unfounded”: “These included the highly publicized allegation of a pregnant woman whose uterus was reportedly ruptured before the killing and whose fetus was stabbed while still inside,” it said it. The paper also emphasized that there is also evidence of sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli captivity.
Israel has long accused the United Nations of failing to respond appropriately to the horrific crimes of October 7th. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that he would summon the Israeli ambassador to the UN home for consultations. In a statement, Katz accused the world organization of wanting to “sweep the report on sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas under the carpet.” A UN spokesman rejected this.