Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday asked the UN Security Council to “apply all possible pressure” on Hamas to release people it took hostage during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Katz was addressing the 15-member Council, which met to discuss a U.N. report that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred at several locations during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

“We ask you to condemn the crimes of sexual violence that these barbarians have committed in the name of the Muslim religion,” Katz told the Security Council, also calling on the body to “apply all possible pressure on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release them.” all the kidnapped hostages.”

He called for sanctions against Hamas, accusing the group of crimes “worse than the terrorist acts committed by al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist organizations” that the Security Council has opposed.

The Security Council called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in resolutions adopted in November and December.

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He is currently reviewing a US draft resolution that includes condemnation of the October 7 Hamas attack “as well as the taking and killing of hostages, the killing of civilians and sexual violence, including rape.”

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on Council members to condemn Hamas.

According to Israel, on October 7, Hamas killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 253 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 31,000 people, according to Gaza Strip health authorities.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, accused Israel at the Security Council of seeking to “forcefully displace our people by making Gaza an uninhabitable place.” (Reuters).