UN team says incidents of rape likely occurred during Hamas attack on Israel

A team of UN experts says there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed rape and “sexualised torture” during its attack in southern Israel on 7 October.

Led by special representative of the secretary general (SRSG) Pramila Patten, the team focusing on sexual violence in conflict found “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing”.

The report is meant to gather, analyse and verify information for secretary general Antonio Guterres’s annual report on sexual violence in conflict and for the UN Security Council, said Ms Patten during a press conference about the launch of the report. It is not a fully fledged UN investigation, as Israel has blocked any such activity by the UN’s human rights office, citing bias.

However, it is the most extensive report on sexual violence conducted by an independent body on the October attack. The report is based on interviews with survivors and witnesses of the attack, released hostages, first responders and health and service providers, as well as a review of 5,000 images and approximately 50 hours of footage of the attacks. The mission team, visiting Israel from 29 January to 14 February, also met with families and relatives of hostages still held in captivity.

“Based on the information it gathered, the mission team found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualised torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages and has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing against those still held in captivity,” said the report.

The team also found “that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations” during the attack, including “rape and gang-rape” in at least three locations, including the Nova music festival site.