UN envoy: Finding that some hostages were victims of sexual violence doesn’t justify Israeli attacks
UNITED NATIONS — The UN envoy focused on sexual violence in conflict warned Israel on Monday that the finding of “clear and convincing information” that some hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attack in southern Israel were subjected to sexual violence “on neither legitimizes further hostilities.”
“In fact, it creates a moral imperative for a humanitarian ceasefire to end the unspeakable suffering inflicted on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Pramila Patten told the UN Security Council, where Israel’s Foreign Minister was also listening.
“Continuation of hostilities cannot in any way protect them,” she said. “It can only expose them to further risk of violence, including sexual violence.”
Patten spoke at a council meeting sought by Israel and called by the United States, Britain and France to focus on her recent report, which also found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed rape, sexualized torture and other cruel and had committed inhumane acts. against women during the October 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
She told the council that the 134 hostages still in captivity and the more than two million civilians in Gaza “share a common fate. In their common interest, there must be a humanitarian ceasefire now.” According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, more than 30,000 people have been killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive against Hamas, two-thirds of them women and children.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he came to the council “to protest as loudly as I can against the crimes against humanity” committed by Hamas, to deter and frighten Israeli society.
He strongly criticized the Security Council’s failure in more than 40 meetings since October 7 to condemn Hamas’ actions. He said the UN’s most powerful body should declare the extremist group a terrorist organization and apply pressure for the hostages’ immediate release.
In a statement that surprised some diplomats, Katz noted that Monday marked the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and said: “Let me take this opportunity to bless our Muslim brothers: Ramadan Kareem.” That means a blessed or generous Ramadan.
“Hamas does not speak for the Muslim world,” Katz said, “and we ask you to condemn the crimes of sexual violence that these barbarians have committed in the name of the Muslim religion.”
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, told the council that Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, but “in Gaza, death and suffering are everywhere. Food and hope are nowhere to be found.”
He told the council that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want a ceasefire because his “political survival requires the attack to continue.”
Israel’s goal, Mansour said, “remains to make the forced relocation of our people through Gaza unliveable.”
He expressed hope that the Security Council, which showed an “unprecedented” response to Patten’s report by convening a meeting within a week, would respond equally to reports of sexual violence against Palestinian women and girls, men and guys.
Patten’s main recommendation is to encourage Israel to grant access to the UN human rights chief and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Palestinian Territories and Israel “to conduct a full-fledged investigation into the alleged violations” by Hamas.
Mansour said Palestinians would welcome these investigations and challenged Israel “to make a similar welcoming statement.” He also invited Patten to visit Gaza and see for himself the plight of the Palestinians.
Patten told the council that she had not received any reports of rape during her visit to the West Bank, but that cases of sexual violence during detention of both Palestinian men and women had been reported.
These include invasive searches, unwanted touching of private parts, genital abuse, threats against men of rape against their female relatives, “and inappropriate searches and prolonged forced nudity of detainees,” she said.
Patten said she raised these reports with Israeli authorities, who provided her with information about their protocols to prevent such acts and “indicated their willingness to investigate any alleged violations.”
She expressed disappointment “that the immediate reaction of some political actors to my report was not to investigate these alleged incidents, but to dismiss them outright via social media.” She did not name any of these “political actors.”