Anthony Blinken says sexual violence committed by Hamas is 'beyond anything I've seen' as he slams UN for slow response to allegations
- Blinken repeatedly told Tapper that he did not have a good answer as to why certain entities did not condemn Hamas's use of sexual violence on October 7.
- Tapper wondered whether anti-Semitism was the driving force behind some people's denial that Hamas used rape as a weapon
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on October 7 on the horrific nature of Hamas's sexual violence against innocent Israelis.
During a Sunday interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Blinken discussed the reasons why some global organizations, countries and leaders took an inordinate amount of time to acknowledge and condemn the terrorist group's horrific sexual violence.
The Biden administration's top diplomat said he was stunned by the lack of response from some entities around the world.
“I don't know why countries, leaders and international organizations were so slow to focus on this, to bring it to people's attention. I'm glad it's finally happening.'
Tapper, host of “State of the Union,” specifically asked Blinken why the United Nations had not drawn attention to the radical Palestinian organization's sex crimes and whether he thought their long-stalled recognition was due to anti-Semitism.
Blinked conducted an interview with Jake Tapper on Sunday in which he again condemned Hamas' sexual violence against Israeli women.
Again, Blinken said he had no good answer for Tapper, but stated unequivocally: “The atrocities we witnessed on October 7 are almost beyond human description and beyond our ability to digest.”
“And we've talked about it before, but the sexual violence we saw on October 7 is beyond anything I've ever seen.”
The inability to condemn, and in some cases the inability to believe, the incidents of sexual violence committed by Hamas is something that “these organizations, these countries, have to wonder about,” he said.
Some of “these” entities that have not sufficiently condemned or drawn attention to Hamas's sexual violence include prominent members of the Democratic party, including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who faced backlash last week for her lukewarm stance on the issue .
House Democrats plan to introduce a resolution condemning Hamas' use of rape against Israeli women as a weapon of war, after some of their colleagues publicly failed to do so.
Top US diplomat Antony Blinken repeatedly condemned Hamas's use of rape as a weapon of war on October 7, saying he remains baffled by the inability of some to recognize the horrific behavior.
A military truck full of stripped and blindfolded Palestinians whom Israel has called 'terrorist suspects' without providing evidence
An Israeli officer walks the ground of the Super Nova Festival in Re'im, Israel, October 17, 2023, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on Hamas terrorists to 'surrender now'
Meanwhile, the war between Israel and Gaza rages on and this weekend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Hamas to “surrender now” as the highly trained Israeli army continues its ground offensive.
The Israeli Prime Minister's bullish warning to the jihadist organization came as the IDF said they are closing in on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's top number one target – dubbed 'Gaza's Bin Laden'.
There is heavy fighting in and around Khan Younis, where Sinwar is believed to be hiding.
The IDF has repeatedly warned civilians to flee the area as they continue their fighting. The US has also sought to halt the latest round of international efforts to call for a ceasefire, while also warning Israel that more must be done to protect Palestinian civilians.
Since the outbreak of the bloody war, the Hamas-led Health Ministry in Gaza claims that 17,000 people have been killed in Gaza.
On October 7, 1,200 Israelis were massacred and about 100 soldiers have been killed since the country's ground offensive began.