International Courant
The Palestinian group has repeatedly denied allegations that its fighters dedicated sexual violence through the October 7 assault.
A crew of United Nations consultants has mentioned there are “affordable grounds to consider” that sexual violence, together with rape and gang rape, occurred through the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7.
Led by UN Particular Envoy on Sexual Violence Pramila Patten, the crew traveled to Israel between January 29 and February 14 and printed a report on their findings on Monday.
The Palestinian group Hamas, which guidelines Gaza, has repeatedly denied accusations that its fighters dedicated sexual violence through the assaults.
“Credible circumstantial data, which can be indicative of some types of sexual violence, together with genital mutilation, sexualized torture or merciless, inhuman and degrading therapy, was additionally collected,” the 24-page UN report mentioned.
“The mission crew discovered clear and convincing data that some hostages dropped at Gaza have been subjected to varied types of conflict-related sexual violence and have affordable grounds to consider that such violence is ongoing,” the report mentioned.
The report comes virtually 5 months after the October 7 assaults, which killed at the least 1,139 folks, based on an Al Jazeera tally based mostly on official Israeli figures. About 250 others have been taken hostage through the assault.
Israel’s conflict on Gaza has since devastated the besieged space, killing greater than 30,500 folks and displacing greater than 80 p.c of the inhabitants, based on Palestinian well being authorities. In line with the UN, 1 / 4 of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are susceptible to famine.
Patten mentioned her crew was unable to satisfy with victims of sexual violence “regardless of concerted efforts to encourage them to return ahead.”
Nevertheless, they held 33 conferences with Israeli establishments and performed interviews with 34 folks, together with survivors and witnesses of the day’s assaults, launched prisoners and healthcare suppliers.
Patten mentioned the crew found that “a number of totally nude or partially nude our bodies from the waist down have been recovered – principally ladies – with their palms tied and shot a number of instances, typically within the head.”
Though it’s oblique, she mentioned it “might be indicative of some types of sexual violence.”
On Street 232 – the street to go away the Nova music pageant, which was a part of the assaults and situated on areas bordering Gaza – “credible data based mostly on witness statements describes an incident of the rape of two ladies by armed parts,” mentioned Patten. .
Patten mentioned the crew in Kibbutz Re’im had verified the rape of a girl outdoors a bomb shelter.
At Kibbutz Be’eri, Patten mentioned, her crew was “capable of decide that at the least two allegations of sexual violence that have been extensively repeated within the media have been unfounded as a consequence of new substituted data or inconsistency within the information gathered.”
Different reported rapes couldn’t be verified through the crew’s time in Israel.
The consultants mentioned a “full-fledged investigation” could be wanted to find out extra particulars concerning the extent of sexual violence that will have occurred that day.
The UN crew mentioned it additionally obtained data from civil society sources and direct interviews about “sexual violence in opposition to Palestinian women and men in (Israeli) detention facilities, throughout house raids and at checkpoints” after October 7.
The UN envoy raised these allegations with Israel’s Ministry of Justice and the Navy Advocate Basic, who mentioned no complaints of sexual violence in opposition to members of the Israeli military have been obtained.
UN consultants say there are causes to consider rape happened throughout Hamas assault on Israel | Israeli Warfare on Gaza Information
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