UN says it has “clear and convincing information” about rapes committed by Hamas

It exists “reasonable grounds to believe” that victims of the Hamas attack on October 7 were raped, as were certain hostages held in Gaza, according to a UN report published Monday March 4, which cannot specify the number of this sexual violence.

While the United Nations has been criticized for reacting too slowly to the rapes and sexual violence that Israel accuses Hamas of committing on October 7, the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, accompanied by experts, visited Israel and the West Bank for two and a half weeks at the beginning of February.

Based on information collected “There is strong reason to believe from multiple, independent sources that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the October 7 attack in several locations on the outskirts of Gaza, including rape and rape in meeting, in at least three places »including the Nova festival website, details the report.

Despite calls for victims of sexual violence to come forward and testify, none of them came forward. Mission members were able to speak with survivors and witnesses of the October 7 attacks and members of the health services, and viewed 5,000 photos and fifty hours of footage from the attacks.

On the other hand, they were able to speak with some of the released hostages, and collect “clear and convincing information that some have suffered various forms of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and sexualized torture, as well as sexualized cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”Pramila Patten said at a press conference. “We have good reason to believe that such violence is still ongoing”, she added. The mission, given its short duration, did not have the opportunity to establish the “prevalence” sexual violence during the October 7 attacks.

Israel recalls its ambassador to the UN

Around 250 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse tally. based on official Israeli data. According to Israeli authorities, 130 hostages are still in Gaza, of whom 31 are believed to be dead. Around 100 others were released along with 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a truce in November.

Just before the publication of the report, which was announced for this Monday, the Israeli foreign minister, accusing the UN of wanting “to ignore the serious report”, announced the recall of its ambassador to the UN for consultations.

In this context, the report calls on the Israeli authorities to “allow access” a mission from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Palestinian Territories, to carry out “full-fledged investigations into all accusations of violations, and supplement and deepen” the results of this mission by Pramila Patten.

Among the difficulties encountered, the report mentions in particular the “lack of confidence among survivors of the October 7 attacks and hostage families in national and international institutions, including the UN”as well as “the absence of exhaustive forensic evidence”.

“The true prevalence of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks (…) could take months or even years to emerge, and may never be truly known”concludes the report.