Palestinian group has repeatedly denied allegations its fighters dedicated acts of sexual violence through the October 7 assault.
A workforce of United Nations specialists has stated there are “cheap grounds to imagine” sexual violence, together with rape and gang rape, occurred through the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7.
Led by UN particular envoy for sexual violence Pramila Patten, the workforce travelled to Israel between January 29 and February 14 and printed a report with their findings on Monday.
The Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza, has repeatedly denied allegations its fighters dedicated acts of sexual violence through the assaults.
“Credible circumstantial info, which can be indicative of some types of sexual violence, together with genital mutilation, sexualised torture, or merciless, inhuman and degrading remedy, was additionally gathered,” learn the 24-page UN report.
“The mission workforce discovered clear and convincing info that some hostages taken to Gaza have been subjected to varied types of conflict-related sexual violence and has cheap grounds to imagine that such violence could also be ongoing,” the report additionally stated.
The report comes almost 5 months after the October 7 assaults, which killed at the very least 1,139 folks, in response to an Al Jazeera tally primarily based on official Israeli figures. Round 250 others have been taken hostage through the assault.
Israel’s conflict on Gaza has since devastated the besieged territory, killing greater than 30,500 folks, in response to Palestinian well being authorities, and displacing greater than 80 p.c of the inhabitants. The UN says 1 / 4 of Gaza’s 2.3 million folks face hunger.
Patten stated her workforce was not capable of meet with any victims of sexual violence “regardless of concerted efforts to encourage them to come back ahead.”
Nevertheless, they did maintain 33 conferences with Israeli establishments and carried out interviews with 34 folks together with survivors and witnesses of that day’s assaults, launched captives, and well being suppliers.
Patten stated the workforce discovered “that a number of totally bare or partially bare our bodies from the waist down have been recovered – largely girls – with palms tied and shot a number of instances, typically within the head”.
Whereas circumstantial, she stated it may very well be “indicative of some types of sexual violence”.
On Highway 232 – the street to depart the Nova music pageant, which was a part of the assaults and was situated on grounds neighbouring Gaza – “credible info primarily based on witness accounts describe an incident of the rape of two girls by armed parts”, Patten stated.
Patten stated that in kibbutz Re’im, the workforce verified the rape of a girl exterior a bomb shelter.
At Kibbutz Be’eri, Patten stated, her workforce “was capable of decide that at the very least two allegations of sexual violence extensively repeated within the media have been unfounded attributable to both new superseding info or inconsistency within the information gathered.”
Different reported rapes couldn’t be verified through the workforce’s time in Israel.
The specialists stated a “fully-fledged investigation” could be required to ascertain extra particulars concerning the magnitude of sexual violence which will have occurred that day.
The UN workforce stated it additionally acquired info from civil society sources and direct interviews, about “sexual violence in opposition to Palestinian women and men in [Israeli] detention settings, throughout home raids and at checkpoints” after October 7.
The UN envoy raised these allegations with the Israeli Ministry of Justice and Army Advocate Common, which stated no complaints of sexual violence in opposition to members of the Israeli army had been acquired.
