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Warning: This text accommodates graphic content material and will have an effect on those that have skilled sexual violence or know somebody affected by it.
The UN envoy specializing in sexual violence in battle stated in a brand new report Monday that there are “cheap grounds” to consider Hamas dedicated rape, “sexualized torture,” and different merciless and inhumane therapy of ladies throughout its shock assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
There are additionally “cheap grounds to consider that such violence could also be ongoing,” stated Pramila Patten, who visited Israel and the occupied West Financial institution from Jan. 29 to Feb. 14 with a nine-member technical group.
Primarily based on first-hand accounts of launched hostages, she stated the group “discovered clear and convincing data” that some girls and youngsters throughout their captivity have been subjected to the identical conflict-related sexual violence together with rape and “sexualized torture.”
The report comes practically 5 months after the Oct. 7 assaults, which left about 1,200 folks useless and a few 250 others taken hostage. Israel’s battle towards Hamas has since laid waste to the Gaza Strip, killing greater than 30,000 folks, in line with Gaza’s Well being Ministry. The UN says 1 / 4 of Gaza’s 2.3 million folks face hunger.
Hamas has rejected earlier allegations that its fighters dedicated sexual assault.
Patten pressured at a press convention launching the report that the group’s go to was to not examine allegations of sexual violence however to collect, analyze and confirm data for Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres’ annual report on sexual violence in battle and for the UN Safety Council.
Her key advice is to encourage Israel to grant entry to the UN human rights chief and the Unbiased Worldwide Fee of Inquiry on the Palestinian territories and Israel “to hold out full-fledged investigations into the alleged violations” — and she or he expressed hope the Safety Council would do that.
‘A really emotional day,’ Israeli physician says
Dr. Nadav Davidovitch, a public well being doctor who labored with Physicians for Human Rights Israel by itself investigation into allegations of sexual violence, welcomed the UN’s report on Monday.
“It is actually a really emotional day to have these crimes acknowledged and considered by the UN in a critical method,” Davidovitch stated in an interview.
Patten stated the group was not capable of meet with any victims of sexual violence “regardless of concerted efforts to encourage them to return ahead.” Whereas the variety of victims stays unknown, she stated, “a small variety of those that are present process therapy are reportedly experiencing extreme psychological misery and trauma.”
Nevertheless, group members held 33 conferences with Israeli establishments and carried out interviews with 34 folks together with survivors and witnesses of the Oct. 7 assaults, launched hostages, well being suppliers and others.
Primarily based on the knowledge it gathered, Patten stated, “there are cheap grounds to consider that conflict-related sexual violence occurred throughout the 7 October assaults in a number of places throughout Gaza periphery, together with rape and gang rape, in at the very least three places.”
Sexual violence at music pageant
Throughout numerous places, she stated, the group discovered “that a number of totally bare or partially bare our bodies from the waist down have been recovered – principally girls – with palms tied and shot a number of instances, typically within the head.”
Whereas that is circumstantial, she stated the sample of undressing and restraining victims “could also be indicative of some types of sexual violence.”
On the Nova music pageant and its environment, Patten stated, “there are cheap grounds to consider that a number of incidents of sexual violence occurred with victims being subjected to rape and/or gang rape after which killed or killed whereas being raped.”
“There are additional accounts of people who witnessed at the very least two incidents of rape of corpses of ladies,” Patten stated. “Different credible sources on the Nova music pageant web site described seeing a number of murdered people, principally girls, whose our bodies have been discovered bare from the waist down, some completely bare,” some shot within the head, some tied to bushes or poles with their palms certain.
On Highway 232 — the highway to depart the pageant — “credible data based mostly on witness accounts describe an incident of the rape of two girls by armed components,” Patten stated. Different reported rapes and gang rapes could not be verified and require investigation.
“Alongside this highway, a number of our bodies have been discovered with genital accidents, together with accidents to different physique elements,” she stated. “Discernible patterns of genital mutilation couldn’t be verified at the moment however warrant future investigation.”
She stated “the mission group additionally discovered a sample of certain bare or partially bare our bodies from the waist down, in some instances tied to buildings together with bushes and poles, alongside Highway 232.”
Individuals fleeing the Nova music pageant additionally tried to flee south and sought shelter in and round kibbutz Reim the place Patten stated there are “cheap grounds” to consider sexual violence occurred.
The mission group verified the rape of a girl outdoors a bomb shelter and heard of different allegations of rape that would not but be verified.
At kibbutz Be’eri, Patten stated, her group “was capable of decide that at the very least two allegations of sexual violence extensively repeated within the media, have been unfounded resulting from both new superseding data or inconsistency within the details gathered.”
These included a extremely publicized allegation {that a} pregnant lady’s womb was reportedly ripped open earlier than being killed along with her fetus stabbed inside her, Patten stated.
One other was “the interpretation initially product of the physique of a lady discovered separated from the remainder of her household, bare from the waist down,” she stated. “It was decided by the mission group that the crime scene had been altered by a bomb squad and the our bodies moved, explaining the separation of the physique of the lady from the remainder of her household.”
Patten stated additional investigation is required of allegations, together with of our bodies discovered bare and in a single case gagged, at kibbutz Be’eri to find out if sexual violence occurred.
At kibbutz Kfar Aza, Patten stated, verification of sexual violence was not attainable. However she stated “obtainable circumstantial data – notably the recurring sample of feminine victims discovered undressed, certain, and shot – signifies that sexual violence, together with potential sexualized torture, or merciless, inhuman and degrading therapy, could have occurred.”
On Oct. 7, the Nahal Oz Navy Base, which operated as a hub for indicators intelligence and monitoring of the Gaza perimeter fence, was additionally breached by Hamas and “a big quantity” of female and male troopers stationed there have been killed, and 7 younger feminine troopers have been kidnapped and brought to Gaza, Patten stated.
Patten pressured that “the true prevalence of sexual violence throughout the Oct. 7 assaults and their aftermath could take months or years to emerge and will by no means be totally identified.”
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