A UN envoy says there are 'reasonable grounds' to believe Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 7

Source: Associated Press

A UN envoy says there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 7

BY EDITH M. LEDERER
Updated 6:14 PM EST, March 4, 2024

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy focusing on sexual violence in conflict said in a new report Monday that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Hamas committed rape, “sexualized torture,” and other cruel and inhumane treatment of women during its surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

There are also “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing,” said Pramila Patten, who visited Israel and the West Bank from Jan. 29 to Feb. 14 with a nine-member technical team.

Based on first-hand accounts of released hostages, she said the team “found clear and convincing information” that some women and children during their captivity were subjected to the same conflict-related sexual violence including rape and “sexualized torture.”

The report comes nearly five months after the Oct. 7 attacks, which left about 1,200 people dead and some 250 others taken hostage. Israel’s war against Hamas has since laid waste to the Gaza Strip, killing more than 30,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The U.N. says a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million people face starvation.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-un-rape-oct7-hamas-gaza-fe1a35767a63666fe4dc1c97e397177e

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Source: Reuters

Israel says UN trying to keep quiet on report about Hamas sexual attacks

Reuters
Updated Mon, March 4, 2024 at 4:06 PM EST·2 min read

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's foreign minister said on Monday he has recalled the country's UN ambassador for consultations over alleged attempts by the United Nations to "keep quiet" a report on sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas, an allegation denied by the organization.

"I ordered our ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, to return to Israel for immediate consultations regarding the attempt to keep quiet the serious UN report on the mass rapes committed by Hamas and its helpers on Oct. 7," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Katz criticized UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for not convening the security council to discuss the findings and in order to declare Hamas a terrorist organization.

The U.N. special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, on Monday presented the report, which said there were "reasonable grounds to believe" sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred at several locations during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-un-trying-keep-180312477.html