Amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the war in Gaza, the UN
Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in
Conflict, Pramila Patten, briefed the Security Council in New
York on her sexual violence report relating to the 7 October
attacks and incidents in the West Bank. She said what she had
witnessed in Israel were "scenes of unspeakable violence
perpetrated with shocking brutality resulting in intense human
suffering."
3:06 PM
Ms. Patten is briefing ambassadors, and
said the Council was meeting more than 150 days after the
coordinated Hamas-led attack, the deadliest in Israeli history.
She also reminded that more than 30,000 Palestinians, mostly
women and children, have perished in the aftermath of 7 October
during the Israeli offensive, according to figures released by
the health ministry in Gaza.
She said her mission at the invitation of the Israeli authorities
in January and February was not investigative but to gather,
analyze and verify reports of conflict-related sexual violence
relating to the 7 October attacks and its aftermath.
2:45 PM
Ms. Patten is expected to provide an overview of the report on
sexual violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel,
which made headlines worldwide upon its release last
week following a visit to the region from late January
to mid-February.
According to the report, the Special Representative said that
during the Hamas attacks on Israel in October, there
are “reasonable grounds” to believe that incidents
of sexual violence took place “in at least three
locations”, including the Nova music
festival.
Findings also showed hostages taken during the attacks faced
“rape and sexualized torture and sexualized cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment and it also has reasonable grounds to believe
that such violence may be ongoing” inside
Gaza.
In the West Bank, her team heard “the views and concerns" of
Palestinian counterparts over incidents “allegedly committed by
Israeli security forces and settlers”. The report noted that
stakeholders had “raised concerns about cruel, inhuman
and degrading treatment of Palestinians in detention,
including the increased use of various forms of sexual violence,
namely invasive body searches, threats of rape and prolonged
forced nudity”.
The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of rising hunger
in Gaza, where aid deliveries have been blocked by Israel and the
risk of famine is steadily mounting, as Israeli Defence Forces
(IDF) military operations are planning a ground invasion in
Rafah, the southern point of the besieged and bombarded enclave,
where more than 1.5 million Gazans are seeking shelter from the
fighting.
