UN finds “convincing information” that Hamas raped and tortured Israeli hostages – Video Hamas
Pramila Patten's findings are based on interviews with released hostages, whose statements indicate that abuses continue in Gaza
The UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict has reported “clear and convincing information” that some women and children held hostage by Hamas have been victims of rape and sexual torture and that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that such abuse “continues”. .
Special Envoy Pramila Patten also reported on Monday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that sexual assaults, including rape and gang rape, occurred in several locations during the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Patten led a nine-member team of experts to Israel and the West Bank in the first half of February, but warned that there were limitations to what could be achieved in a limited time due to a number of constraints.
Hamas negotiators are under pressure to provide a list of hostages to be released
Chief among these limitations was the team's failure to meet survivors of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks, “despite concerted efforts to encourage them to come forward.”
Patten said some were still undergoing trauma therapy, some had been deployed within Israel or abroad and some first responder witnesses had been deployed in the army.
She added: “The lack of trust of the survivors of the October 7 attacks and the families of the hostages in national institutions and international organizations such as the United Nations, as well as national and international media scrutiny of those who published their reports, made access difficult to survivors of the attacks, including potential survivors/victims of sexual violence.”
However, the UN team was able to speak to several witnesses, review a large amount of video footage and images, and interview released hostages.
“Based on first-hand accounts of released hostages, the mission team received clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexual torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, occurred against some women and children during their time in captivity. “There are reasonable reasons to believe that this violence may continue,” the report said.
There are legitimate reasons “to assume that female hostages were also subjected to other forms of sexual violence.”
Under a proposed new ceasefire deal being negotiated in Cairo, 40 vulnerable hostages, including the elderly, the sick and women, are to be released in the first phase of a six-week ceasefire. But progress in Cairo has stalled, at least in part because Hamas has not yet provided a list of the 40 hostages.
In assessing abuses on the day of the Hamas raids in southern Israel by Patten's team, the report said: “There are reasonable grounds to believe that abuses occurred in several locations on the periphery of the Gaza Strip during the October 7 attacks Conflict-related sexual violence occurred, including rape and gang violence in at least three locations.”
The Patten team also visited the West Bank to speak with Palestinian authorities, human rights groups and some released prisoners about allegations of sexual assaults against Palestinians in Israeli detention camps.
The allegations were first raised last month by a UN panel of experts, which said there were “credible allegations” of sexual abuse.
Patten's report said there were no cases of alleged rape, but there were allegations of many other forms of assault, including “invasive body searches of detainees, which include unwanted touching of intimate areas and forced exposure of women wearing hijabs; beating, including in the genital area; Rape threats against women and rape threats against female family members (wives, sisters, daughters) in the case of men.”
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