The UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, presented a report last Monday in which she notes that there are “Reasons to Believe” that during the October 7 attack, rape and other cruel and inhumane abuses of women took place.

The UN envoy visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between January 29 and February 14, accompanied by a team of nine people. Patten herself emphasized that this visit “has no intention or competence to conduct an investigation”.

So, he explains that they were unable to meet with no victims of sexual violence “despite concerted efforts to encourage them to come forward.” In total, they held 33 meetings with Israeli institutions and interviewed 34 people, including survivors and witnesses of the October 7 attacks, freed hostages and medical personnel. They also studied 5,000 photographs and 50 hours of video.

The information collected allows us to conclude that “There are reasonable grounds to believe that sexual assault has occurred conflict-related attacks during the October 7 attacks in several locations around the Gaza Strip, such as rape and gang rape in at least three locations: the Nova Music Festival, Kibbutz Reim and Highway 232. Also mentioned are possible cases of genital mutilation, nudity and binding. .

However, Patten indicated that they were “unreasonable” information regarding sexual violence at Kibbutz Beri which were “widely disseminated in the media”. In particular, we are talking about news about an alleged fetus that was slaughtered in the womb.

Regarding the hostages, Patten’s team discovered:clear and convincing information that sexual assault has occurredincluding rape, sexual torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.” In addition, he warned that there are “reasons to believe that “This violence may continue.”.

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The report emphasizes that mission limitations make it impossible to determine with certainty that these incidents were carried out by Hamas members, as militias from other groups such as Islamic Jihad could also be present and even infiltrate the civilian population of Gaza who would take advantage of the attack. .

In fact, Patten emphasized “high level of planning” and preparing attacks whose purpose was “an indiscriminate campaign to kill, inflict suffering and abduct as many men, women and children, both soldiers and civilians, as possible in the shortest possible time.”

Patten’s mission also visited Ramallah, where Palestinian officials provided information on “problematic behavior” of Israeli security forces. In particular, we are talking about searches at checkpoints, threats of rape, arrests and attacks.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations, such as that Hamas immediately and unconditionally release the Israeli hostages, that the parties file complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC), and that Israel cooperate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international organizations. It also calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and women’s right to vote.

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The preliminary report will be presented in March this year to stakeholders who will receive week to answer these charges before UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres publishes the final version in April.

ISRAEL’S REACTION

Following the publication of the report, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he had recalled Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan after accused the international organization of “trying to silence” this document.

Katz emphasized that this “serious” report from UN experts This shows that the militants who stormed Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 committed sexual attacks.

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“I have ordered our UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan to return to Israel for immediate consultations regarding the attempt to silence a serious UN report on the massive violations committed by Hamas and its associates on October 7,” Katz wrote on his account. on X, formerly Twitter.

In particular, Katz reproaches Guterres, who will not convene the Security Council “In view of the findings, declare Hamas a terrorist organization and impose sanctions against its supporters.”

“Our daughters are not harlots. “Whoever harmed them will pay.”

Erdan himself stressed that the report “admits the sexual crimes committed on October 7 during the Hamas massacre,” although he recalls that it took five months to complete. Publication of the report “exposes the shame of the UN”who “did not hold a single discussion on this issue, not a single meeting!”

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Erdan warned that a ceasefire would only “prolong the suffering of the hostages.” “Any call for a ceasefire is clear support for Hamas to continue sexual violence.”

For all these reasons, he asks Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council “Immediately condemn Hamas for its crimes.”

On the other hand, Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, noted that The report presented by Patten found that “clarity and integrity” That “systematic and continuous sexual offences” committed by Hamas members against Israeli women through a post on their X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday.

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The Duke emphasized that “Hamas and its allies are trying to deny this terrible shame and run from it,” warning that they will not succeed because the evidence is “clear and shocking.”

“Hamas is committing barbaric war crimes, and it is the duty of the world to respond decisively by condemning and punishing it.”

HAMAS REACTION

Islamic resistance movement (Hamas) ‘strongly’ rejected the report submitted by Patten.

“We strongly reject and condemn Pramila Patten’s report,” the police said, adding that it “comes after “the Zionists’ failed attempts to prove these false accusations”.

Hamas stressed that this “unfounded” accusations What are they looking for “demonize the Palestinian resistance”given “the existence of compelling evidence of horrendous human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls at the hands of the Zionist occupying forces.”

“Despite Patten’s false statements and accusations against Palestinian resistance fighters, His report does not contain any testimony from those he names as victims in these cases.“, Hamas said, stressing that the document “is based on Israeli institutions, soldiers and witnesses chosen by the occupation authorities to try to prove these false accusations, refuted by international investigations.”

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For this reason, the Islamist group said the UN rapporteur’s words “contradict what has emerged from Israeli women’s testimonies of good treatment of resistance fightersincluding testimonies from Israeli prisoners who testified to the good treatment they received in captivity in the Gaza Strip,” the newspaper reported. Filastinassociated with Hamas.

“These false accusations will not succeed. eliminate the horror of Zionist crimes in the Gaza Stripwhich caused the death of almost 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children and civilians, as a result of the crime of ethnic cleansing and disregard for the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” the Palestinian militia concluded.

(With information from Europe Press)