A United Nations report has concluded that Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel involved acts of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape.
The international body has found “clear and convincing” evidence that members of the Palestinian terror group committed conflict-related sexual violence across several locations in southern Israel.
The attacks took place during raids at the Nova music festival and kibbutzes and were part of an orchestrated massacre on Oct. 7. U.N. envoy Pramila Patten, who focuses on sexual violence in conflict, reported witness accounts of harrowing incidents, including the sexual assault of female corpses.
The U.N. report released Monday clarified that some earlier accounts were “unfounded.” It specifically refuted an unverified claim of a pregnant woman having her fetus cut from her belly and allegations of rape on a military base that could not be corroborated.
In her address, Ms. Patten also mentioned findings of sexual violence against women and children who were held captive, citing first-hand accounts from released hostages and suggesting such acts may still be occurring.
Ms. Patten and her team visited Israel and the West Bank between Jan. 29 and Feb. 14 to gather data, not to probe allegations but to prepare information for an annual report on sexual violence in conflict intended for the U.N. Secretary-General and the Security Council.
The Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas left around 1,200 people dead and approximately 250 others taken hostage. The subsequent Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip resulted in 30,000 fatalities according to authorities in Gaza and severe shortages of food and medical supplies.
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