New York: United Nations human rights experts, Alice Jill Edwards and Morris Tidball-Binz, have declared that the violence, including sexual atrocities, during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 in Israel could amount to war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity. The experts emphasized the harrowing nature of the sexual violence, involving allegations of assault, gang rape, mutilation, and gunshots to genital areas.
Israeli officials report around 1,200 casualties and over 240 hostages on October 7. While investigators from Israel's Lahav 433 unit have been gathering evidence of sexual violence, Hamas denies the accusations. The UN experts called for full accountability for the alleged crimes, urging all parties to observe a cease-fire, comply with international law, and investigate any reported offenses.
The experts stated, "These acts constitute gross violations of international law, amounting to war crimes which... may also qualify as crimes against humanity." They emphasized that there are no justifiable circumstances for such actions.
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Reacting to the experts' statement, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, condemned Hamas' acts of sexual violence. The issue gained attention in early December when accounts of sexual violence on October 7 were presented at UN headquarters. A subsequent New York Times investigation revealed a pattern of gender-based violence, identifying at least seven locations where Israeli women and girls were subjected to assault or mutilation.
Sheryl Sandberg, a former Meta executive, who organized the presentation, stated, "Silence is complicity." However, some protesters accused the UN of a double standard on sexual violence, echoing the sentiment, "Me too, unless you're a Jew."
The New York Times' investigation uncovered disturbing details, including witnesses describing women raped and killed, photographs showing mutilation, and testimonies from medics and soldiers encountering bodies of women and girls in distressing conditions. The revelations have intensified calls for accountability and justice in the face of such heinous crimes.
—Input from Agencies