Israel slams UN for taking 50 days to comment on sexual crimes committed by Hamas

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has slammed the UN’s women’s body for taking 50 days to comment on sexual violence committed against women during Hamas’ October 7 onslaught. “For almost 50 days UN Women has been SILENT on the rape, murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli women and girls. Seven weeks later and all they can muster is ‘alarm.’ Disgraceful,” the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

For almost 50 days @UN_Women has been SILENT on the rape, murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli women and girls.

Seven weeks later and all they can muster is “alarm”.

Disgraceful. https://t.co/yDCz1GHd17

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) November 25, 2023

“We met with Israeli women’s organizations & heard about the work of the Civil Commission for crimes against women and children,” UN Women tweeted on X.

We met with Israeli women’s organizations & heard about the work of the Civil Commission for crimes against women & children.
We remain alarmed by gender-based violence reports on 7 Oct & call for rigorous investigation, prioritizing the rights, needs & safety of those affected. pic.twitter.com/7KElvUDKbn

— UN Women (@UN_Women) November 25, 2023

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“We remain alarmed by gender-based violence reports on 7 Oct & call for rigorous investigation, prioritizing the rights, needs and safety of those affected,” the UN office added. Meanwhile, National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz said that UN Women’s statement “fails to explicitly address the severity of the terrorist attack, including the brutal murder of over 1,200 people in Israel, torture, and rape of women, as well as the targeting of civilians and families, is equally reprehensible.” “Immediate and unequivocal acknowledgment of these atrocities is imperative, given the blatant violation of international law,” she added. Earlier this month, the Israeli police began investigating cases of sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7 based on forensic evidence, video and witness testimony. Witness testimonies say that women and girls who were caught in the rampage were sexually and physically assaulted by Hamas terrorists. According to Israeli Police Superintendent Dudi Katz, officials have recorded over 1,000 statements and collected more than 60,000 video clips related to the October 7 attacks that contain accounts of people who saw women being raped. However, it is not clear whether any of the rape victims have survived.