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The Palestinian group has repeatedly denied allegations that its fighters dedicated acts of sexual violence through the October 7 assault.
A group of UN consultants has mentioned there are “affordable grounds to consider” that sexual violence, together with rape and gang rape, befell through the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7.
Led by Pramila Patton, the UN particular envoy for sexual violence, the group traveled to Israel between January 29 and February 14 and revealed a report with its findings on Monday.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that guidelines Gaza, has repeatedly denied allegations that its fighters dedicated sexual violence through the assaults.
“Dependable circumstantial info that will point out sure types of sexual violence, together with genital mutilation, sexual assault, or merciless, inhuman and degrading remedy, was additionally collected,” the 24-page UN report mentioned.
The report additionally mentioned, “The mission group obtained clear and concrete info that some hostages taken to Gaza have been subjected to varied types of conflict-related sexual violence and that there are affordable grounds to consider that such violence is continuous.” May be potential.”
The report comes almost 5 months after the October 7 assaults, which killed no less than 1,139 individuals, in accordance with an Al Jazeera tally based mostly on official Israeli figures. About 250 different individuals had been taken hostage through the assault.
Israel's struggle on Gaza has devastated the besieged territory, killing greater than 30,500 individuals and displacing greater than 80 p.c of the inhabitants, in accordance with Palestinian well being officers. The United Nations says 1 / 4 of Gaza's 2.3 million individuals face hunger.
Patton mentioned her group was not capable of meet any victims of sexual violence, “regardless of concerted efforts to encourage them to return ahead.”
Nevertheless, they held 33 conferences with Israeli establishments and carried out 34 interviews with 34 individuals, together with survivors and witnesses of that day's assaults, launched detainees, and well being suppliers.
Patton mentioned the group discovered “a number of our bodies recovered fully or partially bare from the waist down – largely girls – who had their arms tied and had been shot a number of instances, typically within the head”.
Whereas circumstantial, he mentioned it might be “indicative of some type of sexual violence”.
On Highway 232 – the route leaving the Nova music competition, which was a part of the assaults and situated within the neighboring space of Gaza – “credible info based mostly on witness statements describes the incident of rape of two girls by armed parts”, Patton mentioned. he mentioned .
Patton mentioned that in Kibbutz Reim, the group confirmed the rape of a girl exterior a bomb shelter.
At Kibbutz Beeri, Patton mentioned, his group “was capable of decide that no less than two allegations of sexual violence that had been extensively repeated within the media had been unfounded both resulting from new superseding info or inconsistencies within the details collected. “
Different rapes reported through the group's time in Israel couldn’t be confirmed.
Specialists mentioned a “full investigation” can be wanted to ascertain extra details about the magnitude of the sexual violence that occurred that day.
The UN group mentioned it additionally obtained info from civil society sources and direct interviews about “sexual violence towards Palestinian women and men in Israeli custody, throughout raids on properties and at checkpoints” after October 7.
The UN envoy raised these allegations with the Israeli Justice Ministry and the navy lawyer normal, stating that no complaints of sexual violence towards members of the Israeli navy had been obtained.