Discovering that some hostages had been victims of sexual violence does not justify Israeli assaults

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy specializing in sexual violence in battle warned Israel on Monday that the discovering of “clear and convincing data” that some hostages taken by Hamas throughout its Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel had been subjected to sexual violence “doesn’t in any method legitimize additional hostilities.”

“The truth is, it creates an ethical crucial for a humanitarian cease-fire to finish the unspeakable struggling imposed on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and convey in regards to the speedy and unconditional launch of all hostages,” Pramila Patten advised the U.N. Safety Council the place Israel’s overseas minister was additionally sitting and listening.

“Continuation of hostilities can, under no circumstances, defend them,” she mentioned. “It will probably solely expose them to additional threat of violence, together with sexual violence.”

Patten was talking at a council assembly sought by Israel and referred to as by the USA, United Kingdom and France to concentrate on her current report, which additionally discovered “affordable grounds” to imagine Hamas dedicated rape, sexualized torture, and different merciless and inhumane acts towards girls through the Oct. 7 assault that killed about 1,200 folks and led to 250 others being taken hostage.

She advised the council that the 134 hostages nonetheless in captivity and the greater than 2 million civilians in Gaza “share a standard destiny. For his or her frequent sake, there should be a humanitarian cease-fire now.” Israel’s ongoing offensive against Hamas has killed over 30,000 folks, two-thirds of them girls and kids, based on the Gaza Well being Ministry.

Israel’s International Minister Israel Katz mentioned he got here to the council “to protest as loud as I can towards the crimes towards humanity” dedicated by Hamas to be able to deter and scare Israeli society.

He strongly criticized the Safety Council’s failure in over 40 conferences since Oct. 7 to sentence Hamas’ actions, saying the U.N.’s strongest physique ought to declare the extremist group a terrorist group and stress it to instantly launch the hostages.

In a press release that stunned some diplomats, Katz famous that Monday was the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and mentioned: “Let me take this chance to bless our Muslim brothers: Ramadan Kareem.” Meaning have a blessed or beneficiant Ramadan.

“Hamas will not be talking on behalf of the Muslim world,” Katz mentioned, “and we’re asking you to sentence the sexual violence crimes that these barbarians dedicated within the identify of the Muslim faith.”

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, advised the council that Muslims all over the world are celebrating Ramadan however “in Gaza, demise and struggling could be discovered in all places. Meals and hope could be discovered nowhere.”

He advised the council that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t want a cease-fire as a result of his “political survival requires for the onslaught to proceed.”

Israel’s goal, Mansour mentioned, “stays the forcible displacement of our folks by making Gaza unlivable.”

He expressed hope that the Safety Council, which confirmed an “unprecedented” response to Patten’s report by convening a gathering inside every week, would reply equally to reviews of sexual assault towards Palestinian girls and ladies, males and boys.

Patten’s key advice is to encourage Israel to grant entry to the U.N. human rights chief and the Impartial Worldwide Fee of Inquiry on the Palestinian territories and Israel “to hold out full-fledged investigations into the alleged violations” by Hamas.

Mansour mentioned the Palestinians would welcome these investigations and challenged Israel “to make an analogous declaration of welcome.” He additionally invited Patten to go to Gaza and see for herself the plight of Palestinians.

Patten advised the council that when she visited the West Financial institution she didn’t obtain any reviews of rape, however situations of sexual violence through the detention of each Palestinian women and men had been raised.

These included invasive physique searches, undesirable touching of intimate areas, beatings within the genital areas, threats to males of rape towards their girls relations, “and inappropriate strip searches and extended compelled nudity of detainees,” she mentioned.

Patten mentioned she raised these reviews with Israeli authorities, who offered her with data on their protocols to forestall such acts and “indicated willingness to research any alleged breaches.”

She expressed disappointment “that the speedy response to my report by some political actors was to not open inquiries into these alleged incidents, however fairly to reject them outright through social media.” She didn’t identify any of those “political actors.”