For the first time, the Hamas terror organization is blacklisted as an armed group that committed sex crimes in violent conflicts.
By Rachel Avraham
On October 7th, Hamas perpetrated the worst massacre to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust. During this massacre, Hamas committed some of the gravest sex crimes known: rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, sexual torture, etc. The hostages that were taken on October 7th were also subjected to sexual assault and other forms of sexual abuse. And now, this fact has been recognized by the United Nations.
Today, August 14, the UN is expected to send to all members of the General Assembly the UN Secretary-General’s report detailing the “blacklist” of organizations that commit sexual crimes in violent conflicts — and for the first time, the report includes the terrorist organization Hamas, Arutz Sheva reported.
The document marks the first time Hamas has been included on the UN’s formal annex that lists parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council, even though the previous annual report presented by Guterres also mentioned sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Haaretz stressed.
In the draft report, the secretary-general also addresses sexual violence against Israeli hostages held in Gaza, noting that the UN independent investigative commission operating in Israel and the West Bank since 2021 has received credible information indicating that some hostages were subjected to sexual violence, including sexualized torture, while in captivity, Haaretz reported.
According to the report, Guterres also cites a report by Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was published following her visit to Israel early last year. He notes that Patten concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe sexual violence occurred at multiple locations on October 7, including cases of rape and gang rape.
The annual report includes a detailed section on sexual violence in conflict zones, Yedioth Achronot reported. Last year’s edition covered 23 conflict areas and referenced the sexual violence committed on October 7 — following the visit of Pramila Patten, the UN Under-Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Yedioth Achronot added. However, Hamas was not included in the report’s annexed blacklist at the time, as there was deemed to be insufficient information directly linking the group to the reported sexual assaults. The UN stated then that further investigation was required, Yedioth Achronot reported.
According to Yedioth Achronot, the turning point came this year with the release of Project Dinah, led by Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, retired District Court Judge Nava Ben-Or, and Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, former Chief Military Prosecutor of the IDF. Attorney Ayelet Razin Beit-Or also participated in collecting the evidence and documentation that form the basis of the report, Yedioth Achronot added.
The extensive report, which was published last month, included the testimony of a survivor of an attempted rape at the Nova music festival; interviews with 17 eyewitnesses or earwitnesses to the attacks; conversations with therapists who treated victims; and the published testimonies of 15 hostages who were released from captivity in Gaza, Yedioth Achronot stressed. According to the report, the project is named after Dinah, the first rape victim mentioned in the Bible, and, according to one of the authors, aims to “give voice to those who can no longer speak.”
Yedioth Achronot reported that the report was formally delivered to the UN secretary-general and to Patten, and was also sent via Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon. According to the report, sources familiar with the matter said: “Not only is this good news that the UN is finally adding Hamas to the blacklist, but it also shows that when serious, thorough work is done — the UN cannot ignore it.”
Photo from Kobi Gideon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_7_attacks#/media/File:Gaza_envelope_after_coordinated_surprise_offensive_on_Israel,_October_2023_(KBG_GPO03).jpg
