(StraightNews.org) – The UN envoy responsible for documenting sexual violence in war has said that Hamas’ violence against Jewish women during the October 7 terror attack did not justify Israel’s response. Pramila Patten told the UN Security Council there was “clear and convincing” evidence that Hamas sexually assaulted Israeli women but added this does not “in any way legitimize further hostilities.”
Patten went on to state that the violence against Jewish women reinforces the “moral imperative” to end the “unspeakable suffering” of Palestinians in Gaza. She furthermore argued that continued conflict places Israeli women at further risk.
Israel called the Security Council meeting to focus on Patten’s recent report into the events of October 7, specifically crimes committed against females. Patten confirmed that Israeli women were raped and subjected to “sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.” She also stated that there is credible evidence to suggest that approximately 250 hostages were subjected to sexual assault in captivity.
The UN envoy furthermore explained that she saw a “catalog of the most extreme and inhumane forms of torture and other horrors.” During her investigation, she met with survivors, witnesses, and first responders and said survivors were traumatized and undergoing specialist treatment. Additionally, Patten viewed thousands of photographs and watched around 50 hours of video footage taken on the day.
Israel accused the UN of downplaying the violence suffered by Israeli women and slammed the body for ignoring the issue for so long. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan accused the United Nations of shameful silence and asked why it had taken five months to confirm the atrocities.
In December, Israeli police screened footage from the terror attack for journalists as horrific stories began to emerge. Witnesses from the Nova music festival, which Hamas terrorists invaded on the morning of October 7, said women were sexually assaulted and mutilated. A woman testified that she saw Hamas fighters gang-rape a concert-goer before one of them shot her in the head.
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