UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 The U.N. envoy focusing on sexual violence in conflict warned Israel on Monday that the finding of 鈥渃lear and convincing information鈥 that some hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel were subjected to sexual violence 鈥渄oes not in any way legitimize further hostilities.鈥
鈥淚n fact, it creates a moral imperative for a humanitarian cease-fire to end the unspeakable suffering imposed on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and bring about the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,鈥 Pramila Patten told the U.N. Security Council where Israel鈥檚 foreign minister was also sitting and listening.
鈥淐ontinuation of hostilities can, in no way, protect them,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t can only expose them to further risk of violence, including sexual violence.鈥
Patten was speaking at a council meeting sought by Israel and called by the United States, United Kingdom and France to focus on her recent report, which also found 鈥渞easonable grounds鈥 to believe Hamas committed rape, sexualized torture, and other cruel and inhumane acts against women during the Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to 250 others being taken hostage.
She told the council that the 134 hostages still in captivity and the more than 2 million civilians in Gaza 鈥渟hare a common fate. For their common sake, there must be a humanitarian cease-fire now.鈥 Israel's ongoing has killed over 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel鈥檚 Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he came to the council 鈥渢o protest as loud as I can against the crimes against humanity鈥 committed by Hamas in order to deter and scare Israeli society.
He strongly criticized the Security Council鈥檚 failure in over 40 meetings since Oct. 7 to condemn Hamas鈥 actions, saying the U.N.'s most powerful body should declare the extremist group a terrorist organization and pressure it to immediately release the hostages.
In a statement that surprised some diplomats, Katz noted that Monday was the start of the and said: 鈥淟et me take this opportunity to bless our Muslim brothers: Ramadan Kareem.鈥 That means have a blessed or generous Ramadan.
鈥淗amas is not speaking on behalf of the Muslim world,鈥 Katz said, 鈥渁nd we are asking you to condemn the sexual violence crimes that these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion.鈥
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the council that Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan but 鈥渋n Gaza, death and suffering can be found everywhere. Food and hope can be found nowhere.鈥
He told the council that Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin because his 鈥減olitical survival requires for the onslaught to continue.鈥
Israel鈥檚 objective, Mansour said, 鈥渞emains the forcible displacement of our people by making Gaza unlivable.鈥
He expressed hope that the Security Council, which showed an 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 reaction to Patten鈥檚 report by convening a meeting within a week, would respond equally to reports of sexual assault against Palestinian women and girls, men and boys.
Patten鈥檚 key recommendation is to encourage Israel to grant access to the and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Palestinian territories and Israel 鈥渢o carry out full-fledged investigations into the alleged violations鈥 by Hamas.
Mansour said the Palestinians would welcome these investigations and challenged Israel 鈥渢o make a similar declaration of welcome.鈥 He also invited Patten to visit Gaza and see for herself the plight of Palestinians.
Patten told the council that when she visited the West Bank she didn鈥檛 receive any reports of rape, but instances of sexual violence during the detention of both Palestinian men and women were raised.
These included invasive body searches, unwanted touching of intimate areas, beatings in the genital areas, threats to men of rape against their women family members, 鈥渁nd inappropriate strip searches and prolonged forced nudity of detainees,鈥 she said.
Patten said she raised these reports with Israeli authorities, who provided her with information on their protocols to prevent such acts and 鈥渋ndicated willingness to investigate any alleged breaches.鈥
She expressed disappointment 鈥渢hat the immediate reaction to my report by some political actors was not to open inquiries into those alleged incidents, but rather to reject them outright via social media.鈥 She did not name any of these 鈥減olitical actors.鈥
