As per a team of United Nations (UN) delegates, in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th, there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the militant group perpetrated sexual violence, encompassing rape and gang rape.
The report asserts that substantial evidence supports the claim of sexual assault against Israeli captives in Gaza, with indications that such incidents may still be ongoing.
Led by Pramila Patten, UN special envoy for sexual violence in conflict, the delegation visited Israel from January 29th to February 14th to compile, analyze, and verify data concerning sexual assaults linked to the events of October 7th.
The 24-page UN report reveals: “Credible circumstantial information, suggestive of various forms of sexual violence, including genital mutilation, sexualized torture, or acts constituting cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, was also gathered.”
On October 7th, thousands of Hamas militants launched an assault on Israel, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,200 individuals and the capture of 253 hostages.
“The mission team has uncovered compelling evidence that some hostages taken to Gaza have endured different forms of conflict-related sexual violence and there are grounds to suspect that such violence may still be occurring,” notes the UN report.
Nevertheless, after reviewing the report, it appears that there is a lack of compelling evidence presented. Notably, on page 15 of the 24-page document, Patten acknowledges that all the information she has received originates directly from the Israeli government. Additionally, she acknowledges that the Israeli government is hindering UN agencies with genuine investigative authority from conducting independent inquiries into their allegations.
After initially claiming her intention to “verify information,” despite acknowledging earlier, as per her official mandate, her lack of investigative authority or capability, she ultimately concedes on page 20, toward the conclusion, that “we do not possess an investigative mandate.”
Upon conceding the absence of evidence of rape in the videos and photos provided by the Israeli Government, she acknowledges her reliance solely on “positions of bodies and clothing.” However, she previously acknowledged that voulnteer first responders known as Zaka, who have now been discredited and thoroughly debunked, had consistently manipulated these, along with testimonies from the same individuals. (See points 7 and 74 below).
Once more, tucked away toward the end of the report, she concedes that the stories of what happened have changed over time, with some individuals now refuting the claims they previously made, which were widely disseminated in the media. However, she refrains from disclosing their identities or the specific media outlets involved, nor does she clarify if her conclusions are still based on their accounts. (See point 64 below).
Then there is this passage in the report which is near the end of the report (page 22 of 24), and it directly contradicts the entire narrative of the mass rape atrocity, as fabricated by Jeffrey Gettleman, Adam Sella, and Anat Schwartz of the New York Times, which alleged a “systematic Hamas policy of rape.” Notably, this contradictory information is not being widely cited as it contradicts the entire premise of sexual abuse used as a tool of war.
The report goes on to say that a comprehensive investigation will be imperative to ascertain the exact attribution, scope, and scale of the instances of sexual violence, according to the report. This raises the question of why the report initially claimed there was credible evidence of mass rape. If such evidence truly existed, one would expect it to be included in the report.
In the aftermath of October 7th, the UN team also alleges receiving reports regarding “sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in [Israeli] detention settings, during house raids, and at checkpoints” from both institutional and civil society sources. However, no UN special “investigation” has been granted to look into these claims.
The team reported that upon bringing these allegations to Israel’s Ministry of Justice and Military Advocate General, they were informed that no reports of sexual assault against Israeli Defense Force (IDF) personnel had been received. However, given the Israeli Government’s history of dishonesty, we must approach their statements with skepticism.
