UN Says 'Reasonable Grounds To Believe' Sexual Violence Occurred During Hamas Attack On Israel

UN team said that it found credible and convincing information regarding incidents of sexual violence that occurred during the Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel.

A team of United Nations experts on Monday claimed that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that incidents of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred during the attacks on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7. The UN team also found evidence of sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention centres in Israel following the October 7 attacks.

The special envoy for sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, led a team of nine experts to Israel and the West Bank between January 29 and February 14 to gather, analyse and verify information regarding sexual violence linked to the October 7 attacks. However, they said that there were limitations to what they could gather within the time frame and other constraints, according to a report by Reuters.

According to the report, the UN team found clear and convincing information that some hostages taken to Gaza have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence and has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing. Palestinian militant group Hamas has repeatedly rejected accusations of sexual violence.

The UN team also found evidence of sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention settings, during house raids, and at checkpoints following the events of October 7. These detention centres were located within Israel, according to Reuters. The UN team stated that they brought up the allegations with both the Israeli Ministry of Justice and the Military Advocate General, who reported that they had not received any complaints of sexual violence involving members of the Israeli Defense Forces.

On October 7, Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the capture of 253 hostages, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel's retaliatory strikes against Hamas in the Gaza Strip have led to the deaths of approximately 30,000 Palestinians, as reported by health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

The UN report states that there is "clear and convincing information" indicating that some women and children hostages held by Hamas were subjected to rape and sexual torture.

"Credible circumstantial information, which may be indicative of some forms of sexual violence, including genital mutilation, sexualized torture, or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, was also gathered,” the UN report said, as per Reuters.

The report based on first-hand accounts of released hostages, indicates that the mission team received convincing information regarding instances of sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment inflicted upon some women and children during their captivity. 

Furthermore, the report asserts that there are reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be occurring.

One of the major constraints faced by the UN team was not being able to meet any survivors of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks, “despite concerted efforts encouraging them to come forward,” The Guardian reported.

Patten said that some of the survivors were undergoing trauma therapy, some relocated abroad or relocated within Israel and some of the first responder witnesses had been deployed in the army.

“The lack of trust by survivors of the October 7 attacks and families of hostages in national institutions and international organisations, such as the United Nations, as well as the national and international media scrutiny of those who made their accounts public, hindered access to survivors of the attacks, including potential survivors/victims of sexual violence,” Patten added. 

Israel has been critical of the UN response to the October 7 attacks. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said late last year that sexual violence committed on October 7 "must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted," stressing: "Gender-based violence must be condemned. Anytime. Anywhere."

"The UN claims to care about women, yet as we speak right now Israeli women are being raped and abused by Hamas terrorists. Where is the UN's voice? Where is your voice?" Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the 193-member UN General Assembly earlier on Monday.