Hamas “rejects” and “deplores” the UN report on the sexual violence committed during its October 7 assault on Israel, said the Palestinian Islamist movement in a press release on Tuesday.
The “allegations” regarding Hamas members’ rape and sexual violence committed during this attack are “false” and “unfounded,” and the UN report “does not cite any victim testimonies,” said the movement, brushing off the report as an attempt to demonize Palestinian resistance.
The mission report of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General Pramila Patten on Sexual Violence in Conflict, issued on Monday, said that the mission team found clear and convincing information that some hostages were subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and sexualized torture and sexualized cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and it also has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing.
Following a 17-day visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank (from 29 January to 14 February 2024), Patten said on Monday that “there are also reasonable grounds to believe that such violence, which includes other “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” may be continuing against those still being held by Hamas and other extremists in the Gaza Strip.”
The report mentioned that multiple incidents of rape, including gang rape, occurred in and around the Nova festival site during the 7 October attack.
In this regard, and while consistently denying having committed such acts, Hamas said that despite Patten’s baseless accusations, her report provides no testimony of what she presents as victims of rape and sexual violence.
Israel accused the UN on Monday of taking too long to respond to the claims of sexual assault by Hamas militants. It has decided to recall its ambassador to the United Nations for “immediate consultations” over what it said was a UN attempt to “silence” information about Hamas sexual violence.
“I have ordered our Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, to return to Israel for immediate consultations following the attempt to silence information on the mass rapes committed by Hamas and its collaborators on October 7,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Approximately 250 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which resulted in the killing of 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP.
Israeli authorities revealed that 130 hostages are still in Gaza, with 31 reported dead.
Israel’s military operations, launched in retaliation for the October 7 attack, have resulted in over 30,600 deaths among Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas Health Ministry.