Israeli hostages were raped, subjected to sexual torture, UN envoy says

Russia questions report, even as UN special representative tells Security Council that Israeli hostages faced ‘sexualized torture.’

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli hostages held captive by Gaza terrorists during and after the October 7th invasion were subjected to rape and sexualized torture, a United Nations envoy told the UN Security Council Monday, sharing findings from a recent report.

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramilla Patten, addressed an emergency hearing of the Security Council called Monday by the delegations of Japan, France, Britain, and the U.S., following the filing of a report last week by Patten and her team.

In her 24-page report, summarizing her findings during an investigatory trip to Israel, Patten wrote that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Gaza terrorists used sexual violence against Israelis on October 7th.

Speaking at Monday’s hearing, Patten said that there was ample evidence that Israelis held hostage by Gaza terrorists were not only sexually assaulted and raped, but also tortured.

“What I witnessed in Israel were scenes of unspeakable violence perpetrated with shocking brutality resulting in intense human suffering,” Patten told the Security Council.

“I saw the pain in their eyes,” Patten continued. “It was a catalogue of the most extreme and inhumane forms of killing, torture and other horrors.”

“We found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, has been committed against hostages, and we have reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those in captivity.”

Patten and her team interviewed 34 people – including survivors of the October 7th attacks – during the fact-finding mission to Israel. The team visited the scenes of four massacres, and reviewed over 50 hours of footage and more than 5,000 photographs.

Russia’s representative, Maria Zabolotskaya, downplayed Patten’s report, noting that the UN team had not met with rape victims themselves.

“Only after a comprehensive and objective study of the situation in its entire geographical extent will it be possible to draw any conclusions,” Zabolotskaya said, adding that Russia rejected the “collective punishment” of Gazans which followed the massacre and rape of Israelis on October 7th.

““We consider it unacceptable that the suffering of people who have experienced sexual violence or accusations of this serious crime become a ‘bargaining chip’ in political games.”