UN says rape likely committed in Hamas attack on Israel

Hamas has denied its gunmen sexually assaulted women during the attacks. UN team found reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations during the 7 October attacks. These happened in at least three locations - the Nova music festival site and its surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re‘im. Hamas gunmen infiltrated southern Israel on 7 October - killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 others hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which 30,500 people have been killed. Reports of sexual violence carried out by Hamas began to emerge soon after 7 October and have accumulated steadily ever since. The UN team visited Israel between 29 January and 14 February. It was made up of Ms Patten and nine experts and was designed to gather and verify allegations.

More than 5,000 photographic images were examined as well as 50 hours of video footage. Some allegations of rape and sexual violence could not be verified. Israel welcomes the definitive recognition that Hamas committed sexual crimes. It also said it had not been able to establish a discernible pattern of genital mutilation.

But it rejected the UN team’s report that it had also received information about sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention settings. Israel has rejected similar allegations made previously by a panel of independent UN experts. Mr Haiat also said Israel opposed a recommendation made in the report that the country cooperate with the UN’s international Commission of Inquiry. The inquiry is trying to conduct an investigation into potential war crimes on all sides.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Mr Guterres fully supported Ms Patten’s work in her visit to Israel. He criticised UN Secretary General Antonio Guterre for not convening the Security Council to discuss the findings and to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation. He said that in no way, shape or form did the secretary-general do anything to keep the report ‘quiet.

Read More