Gaza war involves rape and abuse of girls
UN experts say they have seen “credible allegations” that Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to sexual assault, including rape , while in Israeli custody, and are calling for a full investigation.
UN meeting room. Photo: Wikipedia.org.
The panel said there was evidence of at least two cases of rape, along with other cases of sexual humiliation and threats of rape. Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, says the true scale of sexual violence may be much higher.
“We may not know the actual number of victims for a long time.” ”, notes Alsalem, who was appointed special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2021.
She noted that reticence in reporting sexual violence was common due to fear of reprisals against victims. She said that during the wave of detentions of Palestinian women and girls since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, Israeli detention centers have become increasingly lenient in their treatment of sexual abuse.
“I would say that Overall, violence and dehumanization of Palestinian women, children and civilians have been normalized throughout this war,” Alsalem emphasizes.
Evidence has been obtained of widespread sexual violence by Hamas against Israeli women and girls during the October 7 raid in southern Israel, The Guardian recalls. The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel said the use of violence and other abuses by Hamas attackers was “systematic and deliberate.” The attacks, which have also been condemned by Alsalem and other UN experts, will be the subject of a report by the UN Secretary-General's special envoy on sexual violence, Pramila Patten.
Alsalem said she did not know whether Patten's report would cover allegations of rape and sexual assault against Palestinian women and girls, but that she hopes to discuss the issue with her.
The Israeli government has rejected allegations of sexual violence against Palestinians as “despicable and unfounded allegations,” The Guardian writes.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the administration was aware of the allegations and had asked Israeli authorities to investigate.
“I cannot independently confirm these reports,” Miller said. “I will say that we have made it clear that civilians and detainees must be treated humanely and in accordance with international humanitarian law. We urge Israel to thoroughly and transparently investigate credible allegations and ensure any accountability for abuses and violations, and this will continue to be our position.”
In their report on Monday, the UN experts said: “We are particularly concerned by reports that Palestinian women and girls in custody have also been subjected to various forms of sexual violence, such as stripping and searches by male Israeli army officers. At least two detained Palestinian women were reportedly raped, while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.”
Independent experts, who were appointed by the UNHRC but do not represent the UN, reported that humiliating photographs of female Palestinian prisoners allegedly taken by Israeli soldiers had been uploaded onto the Internet.
Women and girls were not spared in the widespread killing of Palestinian civilians, experts said. With the estimated death toll in Gaza now approaching 30,000, experts have pointed to reports of random killings of women and girls in Gaza, often along with family members, The Guardian writes.
“ We are shocked by reports of targeted attacks and extrajudicial killings of Palestinian women and children in places where they have sought refuge or while fleeing,” the experts said in a joint statement. “It is reported that some of them were holding pieces of white cloth in their hands when they were killed by the Israeli army or associated forces.”